Satellite will be closing out the card Monday evening in a $5000 claiming race for horses that have not won a race since May 10.  The race is a mile over the dirt. We’ll break from the outside under Ry Eikleberry.

But wait, you say, we have won a race this year.  And Blue Bomber has as well!  You can see that Out of Patience won too, but it was prior to May 10.  Satellite and Blue Bomber both won their races at $4000 and the conditions stipulate that races under $5000 do not count toward the conditions of the race.  So for the purposes of this particular race, neither of us has a win yet.

I shall have the previous two winners’ circle photos with me tomorrow evening.  We’ll be a little late getting up from Rochester but in plenty of time for the race – no worries there. We cannot be in the paddock but I will be outside the paddock before the race. Should we be fortunate to win, we will see what we can work out for the winners’ circle, but let’s not put the cart before the horse, so to speak.

If you are coming out for the race: PLEASE MAKE SURE TO MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS! Jeff sent you all out an email with the specifics on how to do that.  You HAVE to follow the instructions on that email. If you have not received it, please send Jeff or a I a note and we will get it out to you.

Now for the race:

Money Broker (Gawerecki/Butler): Lost by 14 last out to Blue Bomber and by 3 to us two back.  He’ll sit mid-pack and try and make a run.

Slick As Ice (Padilla/Quinonez): Ran out of room chasing Blue Bomber in his last coming up short by a length and a quarter.  Will likely wind up for one long run late.

Logan’s Leopard (Rumsey/Carter): Stretching back out. Last time he ran a mile was against us where he came up short by 11 1/2.

Out of Patience (Van Winkle/Lindsay): Dropping in from $7500 where he closed to be third going a mile.  Two back he ran against Unleash the Beast, Hamazing Vision and Blue Bomber.  While he was well beaten it was a considerably more difficult field and all three of those mentioned earlier came back to win. Shouldn’t be too far off the pace and will try and close. Shouldn’t be overlooked.

Blue Bomber (Diodoro/Arietta): Very impressive in his last where he was handicapped by a bad start and still managed to win by more than a length.

Herbie (Flores/Chirinos): Herbie will go to the lead and try and stay there.  He was unable in his last couple of starts – once against us and in his last race going a bit shorter where he finished 2nd.

SATELLITE (BROBERG/EIKLEBERRY)

Satellite won last out by tracking the speed and outrunning the field down the lane and I wouldn’t expect a much different strategy this time out.

We all know that Herbie will head to the lead and, at first glance, it looks like he’ll be alone up there.  However if you look closer at morning line favorite Blue Bomber, don’t be surprised to see him there as well.

He had trouble last time out getting going and was still able to rally to win.  In his 2020 Canterbury debut, he was likely overmatched in the $10,000 optional claimer/$5000 starter race – where he finished a very good 4th behind horses having great Canterbury seasons.  Prior to those races, however, he pressed the pace or was on the lead.  Pressing Herbie would not be the worst thing in the world for us.

Out of Patience should to be running late, but likely starting a bit behind us so Ry should be able to get first run on the leaders.  That will leave one simple question late: will we be good enough to go by and win while holding off the closer?

We should know the answer to that by about 8:45 tomorrow.

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!