The Table is Set

Dear Partners and Friends,

What a weekend we have coming up! Four graded stakes on one day for Donegal Nation.

Here they are, in the order that they will be run:

Gulfstream: 3 p.m. CST, 4 p.m. EST: PUCA in Race 8, The Davonna Dale. Puca is #6 of 14 horses. That's right, 14! The 14 includes talented, and likely favorite, Birdonthewire owned by Tom Camp and Forum Racing; many of whom are Donegal partners as well. Exacta anyone?  

Fairgrounds: 3:55 CST, 4:55 EST: IRISH YOU WELL in Race 8, The Mineshaft Stakes. IYW is #5 of 12 horses. IYW to be ridden by Florent Geroux.

Gulfstream: 4:30 CST, 5:30 EST: DANNY BOY in the Fountain of Youth. Danny is #8 of 8. Danny to be ridden by Corey Lanerie. Thanks, and a hat tip to Doctor Infante for helping sort through the jockey challenges.

Fairgrounds: 5:24 CST, 6:24 EST: KEEN ICE in the Risen Star. ICE is #8 of 10. Ice to be ridden by Fairgrounds leading rider, James Graham.

For those of you participating in the handicapping contest, you will receive PP's for the Fountain of Youth and the Risen Star on Thursday. Picks are due Saturday. Still time to sign up!

IMPORTANT: If either Danny or Keen Ice finish second or better, they are IN THE KENTUCKY DERBY. In the words of Ray Smith, "Why not us?!"  A Derby entrant would mean Donegal has been in the Kentucky Derby three of the last six years. 50%. Know anyone else who can say that?

Of course we don't want to get the cart in front of our horses. Big, tough fields await and at least three of our horses, Danny, Irish and Puca, are all likely to be a race or two away from top form. While we would love to win any of those three races this weekend, it isn't our ultimate goal for any of them. As for Keen Ice, yours truly has slightly higher expectations ;).

Time permitting, we will give you another update on these races come Thursday.

Jerry