Well, things were not looking good at all for Down The Jazz to be in the starting gate for the Bluegrass Derby. As of right now, his earnings would fall just shy of being enough to gain entry. I did feel, however, that one more 2nd place finish in a Derby Prep race would give him the necessary amount of SIM Bucks to sneak-in. But that would not be a positive note to enter the Derby field on. Down The Jazz needed a win in one of those Derby Prep races. Earlier in the year I was worrying about having too much time until the Bluegrass Derby Day. Now, each week that passed lessened the chances of him participating in these prep races.
What really amazed me was the lack of recognition he was getting; Down The Jazz had proven himself to be the most consistant 3yo running this year, especially in Graded stakes races:
No other 3yo had even come close to having these credentials and still he was not on anyones Bluegrass Derby list. Maybe I was too close to Down The Jazz and had seen what potential he has, he made a believer out of me through his tremendous ability and pure gutsy attitude. I thought that at the time he was just one win away from proving hiself to be the best 3yo this Spring. I guess that's what it's all about though, in real-life not too many fans or reporters look in the right direction when it comes to finding a Derby winner either. Charismatic, Thunder Gulch, Go For Gin, ...... I could make a lengthy list of KY.Derby winners that have been missed. As in real-life as well; Your world can get pretty small when believing in your own horse.
That was the problem, how to get that one win. Another problem, it's been three weeks and Down The Jazz has not turned Sharp. Derby Dreams ...... steadily fading away. I needed to "jump start" him, find a way to make him Sharp. There wasn't a selection of Derby prep races this week either, there was one; The Santa Clara Derby. I have learned that it is very important for your young 3yo horse to be Sharp when attempting races of the Grade I caliber. I didn't have a Sharp horse.
A Plan:
I noticed that about the last Derby prep race would come in the following week in New York; The John Wooden. Although Down The Jazz was not Sharp this week for the Santa Clara Derby, there was a chance that by having him participate in this race it might make him Sharp for the following week for the John Wooden.
Slim chances in this plan, but I had run out of other options and this plan seemed feasible as other horses of mine have responded in similar fashion.
Well, I wasn't expecting a win, let alone a great effort .... but this was dismal, his worst performance to date. I could only think that his last sub-par performance also came in California after he won the Holy Bull. But that was an expected recessive race, could this also mean that Down The Jazz doesn't like the California track? I hope not, there will be some very good races there in the future that I hope he can be part of. But this effort was horrible, 84-SPF , he fell from contention from the start and showed no interest in the race at all, finishing 8th. The only thing I could hope for was going to be in the stable up-dates. Would my plan have worked? Would he turn Sharp?
IT'S ON!!! IT'S ON!!!
HE'S SHARP!!!
DOWN THE JAZZ IS SHARP!!
