Kentucky Derby winning Jockey Javier Castellano / Woodbine Jockey Declan Carroll / Woodbine Oddsmaker and Head Clocker, Ernie Perri

Ann and  Larry  interview Kentucky Derby winning Jockey Javier Castellano who talks about last weeks Kentucky Derby and what it felt like to win the race that had alluded him 15 times during his career and why winning the Derby means so much to a Rider. Javier also talks about his horse Mage and it’s next race which will be the Preakness and why the third leg of the Triple Crown , the Belmont Stakes has some extra significance to him. Javier mentions too about how he prepares on the day of a big race like the Kentucky Derby  and discusses the potential Mage could have going forward. Woodbine Jockey Declan Carroll,  who discusses why he has created a ‘Behind The Scenes’ video series that has been designed to hopefully bring more attention to Thoroughbred racing and potentially attract new people to the sport. Declan also discusses his career to date which was highlighted last year with a win in the Breeders Stakes at Woodbine and was the Third Leg of the Canadian Triple Crown and how both his father, David and Trainer Mark Casse, have been so important to his riding career so far. Declan also discusses why he chose to ride full time at Woodbine and whether there was a Jockey that helped influence his decision to become a Rider. Woodbine Oddsmaker and Head Clocker, Ernie Perri, who discusses the 2023 Woodbine meet to date  and with the season still in its infancy, the importance that workouts play in order to become a successful handicapper. Ernie also discusses what he looks for in workouts and the importance of the 5-furlong work and mentions what is the most impactful equipment change that he follows as a handicapper and talks about his role as Woodbine’s Oddsmaker. Ernie also discusses a couple of races at Woodbine today and what horses were included on his regular ‘Clocker’s Report’ that might be good ‘betting plays’  .  In our new feature, ‘ In Case You Missed It’ A Look At The Way It Was In Horse Racing News, Larry  discusse the odds differential with the Kentucky Derby pre-wagering at various Las Vegas Casino’s and the Advance Derby Pools and also talks about a Daily Racing Form article that outlines a Beyer Speed Rating angle that has been quite profitable over the past few years for some Kentucky Derby starters. Larry also  provides  his ‘Ponies Picks of the Day’ selections for several North American Racetracks. 

Key Points:

Javier  discusses the Kentucky Derby and how winning the race in his 16th try was so important and why it  is the race that every Jockey wants to win. He also talks about  why he chose to ride the horse Mage and discusses both the upcoming Preakness and Belmont Stakes  and why the latter race has such a special significance to him.  Javier also talks about Mage and what he likes about the horse and discusses the Kentucky Derby and at what time in the race did he believe he had it won. He also mentions why he thinks that Mage is a horse with tremendous potential  and discusses how he prepares to ride on a very significant days of racing like the Kentucky Derby. 

Declan, initially talks about his ‘Behind The Scenes’ video series and why he has developed them to help attract more attention for the Thoroughbred sport and potentially bring more people into horse racing. He also talks about his biggest win as a Jockey to date, which was the Breeders Stakes at Woodbine last year and how he prepared for this race and also discusses why he decided to ride full time at Woodbine last year. Declan mentions too, how both his father and Hall of Fame Trainer Mark Casse have been so important to getting him established as a Jockey and mentions a couple of Jockey’s that also helped him settle into a career as a Rider. He also talks about some goals he has for 2023 as a Jockey at Woodbine. 

Ernie, first talks about how todays card  at Woodbine sees some nice races and decent sized fields. He also discusses the importance workouts play when handicapping , especially in the early stages of the season and mentions what he looks for in workouts to help him handicap. He also gives his opinion on last weeks Kentucky Derby  and the performance by Mage and spends some time discussing the importance of the 5-furlong workout and talks about what equipment change in his opinion is the most important when handicapping a race. Ernie also discusses his role as Woodbine’s Oddsmaker and for our new listeners, explains how he comes up with the Morning Line Odds and finally, he talks about todays Woodbine card and mentions a couple of horses that are on his ‘Clocker’s Report’.