SELECTED RACE NOTES FOCUSED ON KICKBACK
Plus a few other notes following a review of video of major points races (and a few not as major)

How horses handled off tracks will be addressed in a separate post in the coming days.

Posted April 28, 2023

ANGEL OF EMPIRE - Took some dirt, but not a lot, and ran through it in the Arkansas Derby. The track is so dark during the Risen Star it's hard to tell. Took plenty of kickback on a sloppy track in his winning debut at Indiana Grand.

CYCLONE MISCHIEF - Took little dirt while stalking the pace from the outside in the Florida Derby. Took a lot of kickback, then didn't respond when finally clear in the Holy Bull.

CONFIDENCE GAME - Took plenty of dirt on a sloppy track in the Rebel while coming from behind in a crowded field.

CONTINUAR - Took little or no dirt in the UAE Derby while outside the top two during much of the going.

DERMA SOTOGAKE - Took no dirt while leading from early on to the wire in the UAE Derby.

DISARM - Checked between horses backstretch while lacking running room in the Lexington. Took plenty of dirt and kept going. Also took dirt while while inside in the Louisiana Derby before finishing second.

FORTE - In the Florida Derby, pre-race neck sweat; took a lot of kickback; overcame near-outside post and being far back early; shifted out from behind horses athletically and passed Mage late after that one blew by him in the turn.

HIT SHOW - Took very little kickback staying just outside horses in the Wood even though he dove to the inside of Lord Miles late in the backstretch.

JACE'S ROAD - Was near the pace in the early and late going of the Louisiana Derby and took little or no kickback.

KINGSBARNS - Took no dirt while leading the field (Jace's Road briefly shared the lead) in the Louisiana Derby.

LORD MILES - - Took very little kickback staying just outside horses in the Wood.

MAGE - Took a lot of kickback in the Florida Derby and came from far behind, passed Forte who was also far behind early, siezed the lead, but was overtaken late by Forte.

MAJOR DUDE - Took synthetic kickback while inside during the opening frames of the Jeff Ruby.

MANDARIN HERO - He took a ton of kickback in the Santa Anita Derby and lost the race by only a nose.

PRACTICAL MOVE - Inside trip laying behind two huge longshots in the Santa Anita Derby but was subjected to little kickback. In the San Felipe pretty much the same trip after being held early while "keen" per the chart call, and came home fairly clean of dirt.

RAISE CAIN - Ran through dirt in the Blue Grass after being far back early, then took the outside route into the stretch, five wide on the turn and seven wide leaving the turn.

REINCARNATE - Stalking trip in the Arkansas Derby. Took little kickback.

ROCKET CAN - Stayed outside and took little dirt in the Arkansas Derby. Was passed quickly on his outside by Angel of Empire.

SKINNER - Took little dirt with a three wide trip in the Santa Anita Derby and while able to continue momentum, it wasn't quite enough. He had the same kind of trip in the San Felipe but was unable to finish them off and actually lost a little bit of ground in the stretch.

SUN THUNDER - Ran through dirt in the Blue Grass after being far back early. Took the inside route into the stretch.

TAPIT TRICE - Outrun from the gate in the Blue Grass; took dirt and was climbing a bit before being shifted outside going into first turn; four wide far turn. In short, took no kickback after he made the first turn. Far back early in the Tampa Bay Derby, he didn't get going until he was taken to the outside and clear of kickback.

TWO PHIL'S - Was kept outside and avoided kickback in his monster effort winning the Jeff Ruby.

VERIFYING - Second early pressing the pace and did not take kickback in the Blue Grass. In the Rebel on a sloppy track, he broke from the 1 hole but encountered so much traffic for so long it's hard to tell if whether the slop or the kickback or both contributed to his so-so showing.