Kenny McPeek CALLS His Kentucky Derby Shot 👀

The Kentucky Derby is here… and  Kenny McPeek is breaking it ALL down.

From top contenders to deep longshots, Kenny gives his full Derby analysis, including:

• 🏇 His TOP PICKS to win the Derby
• 💰 Undervalued horses the public is sleeping on
• 👀 Why Baffert’s horse could dominate
• 🔥 A deep dive into Renegade, Potente, and more
• 🎯 The best betting angles for Derby weekend

PLUS…

🚨 Kenny goes OFF on the current state of racing:

• The state vets controversy
• Why horses are getting scratched at record rates
• And what it means for the future of the sport

You also get exclusive backside access at Churchill Downs, including:

• Behind-the-scenes footage from Derby week
• Insight into how entries and jockey decisions are made
• Interviews from inside the barn

💡 Kenny’s Final Picks (Don’t Miss This):

• Potente
• Renegade
• Incredible
• Golden Tempo

(And why one of these could shock the world…)

🎯 Whether you’re betting the Derby or just love horse racing — this episode gives you a true insider edge.

👉 Download the Horse Races Now app

📲 Subscribe for more insider horse racing content
🎥 Weekly breakdowns, betting strategies & exclusive interviews

Transcript

SPEAKER_05 0:13

Welcome back to the Horse Faces Now podcast. Um I don't know, man. I'll play that thing it'd be a little bit better. But hey, so this past Saturday, I had the absolute pleasure to go to the backside. I'm gonna put a lot of this footage on this uh on this particular podcast. I was blown away by how many people stopped me and told me how great the podcast was. Yeah, that's good. At least eight or nine individually came up to say, love the podcast. Yeah, well, you're undefeated. Uh well, I guess. I am undefeated, but I was very humbled by it. Um, I want to thank everybody for listening. I mean, obviously, that's our listener group, you know, that's our listener base, but man, it was such a cool experience watching the horses train, just being back there. I've never been on the backside in that capacity, so it was just it was really, really cool. Sonny's the star.

SPEAKER_03 1:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:05

Sonny is this, everybody stops and pet Sonny. Yeah. It's crazy. It's funny because when people walk up and be like, all right, what do you got to? What do you got? You got a biscuit? What do you got? You got a treat? If you have dog treats, man, Sonny's gonna be your best friend. But he just sits up. What I thought was funny is Sonny went and just sat up at the top of the trainer's little perch there when you guys are watching the horses train. He just sits there and just kind of guards the door.

SPEAKER_03 1:27

Yeah. He's in his element.

SPEAKER_05 1:29

It's fantastic.

SPEAKER_03 1:30

Got the hospitality tent. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:35

So I keep trying to I keep trying to explain to people because I'd never seen anything like it. But that day, the Japanese horse, I guess it's the uh the one with bourbon in the name, uh Dan and Bourbon.

SPEAKER_03 1:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:46

It went nuts.

SPEAKER_03 1:47

Yeah, it was all over the racetrack. It was going crazy. That got my horse hurt. I know. Yeah, he was all over the place.

SPEAKER_05 1:53

Now, my I was telling my dad about this, Kenny. This might be a silly question. Uh uh They're used to go in the opposite direction.

SPEAKER_03 2:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 2:01

Is that why he was going crazy on the track, do you think?

SPEAKER_03 2:03

Or you you need you need, I think, you need some experience around Churchill. You need a race over it, you need to familiarize yourself with it. And yeah, he was quite confused. Yeah, you can tell. I mean, it was wild. All over the place. He when he came on the track, he bolted the outside fence. He when he when he was galloping, he went to the inside fence. And yeah, but I think they got him sorted out since then. I think he's been a lot better.

SPEAKER_05 2:28

But I tell you what, people like him. People people are putting playing him. This is what it sounds like. Uh I well, I'm just saying, like, if you watch the shows, the uh the pre-shows, they these these experts like him.

SPEAKER_03 2:40

He's a big strong horse. You don't go three for three and not be, but he's got like said, the whole experience is gonna blow his mind. Oh, I mean 20 horses and going another direction. Yeah. Huge crowd. I th I think you know, I'd be surprised. But you know, the Japanese are coming over there, they're they're spot on serious.

SPEAKER_05 2:59

Well, they're gonna win it at some point.

SPEAKER_03 3:00

Yeah, that that race, he he is three for three. He won by ten and Kyoto. Um not an ultra impressive time last time, but he won. But yeah, I you know, I I got a chance to study the Japanese horses when I was over there last summer. I think we talked about some of the podcast about it. Um they got a little ways to go. Okay. They're not bringing Forever Young with this one.

SPEAKER_05 3:24

Well, Forever Young's kind of a generational talent. Yeah, exactly. And that's not this one, right? Both of them. Now there's two of them, right? I think I think there's two Japanese horses in it. Maybe one's an also. Kentucky bred. That's right. It was born in Kentucky. Hence the bourbon in the name, I think.

SPEAKER_03 3:41

Speed six is coming from Maidan. Where is the other Japanese horses?

SPEAKER_05 3:47

I know there's two of them. I forget what the name is. I I should know this, but people are probably listening and thinking good.

SPEAKER_03 3:53

I agree with all that. Matter of fact, they should let a Philly in, but the best Philly with the most points should be allowed in.

SPEAKER_05 3:59

Well, heck yeah.

SPEAKER_03 4:01

All right, let's get on with it. All right, so Oaks, do you want to go Derby?

SPEAKER_05 4:05

Uh so first thing I want to do is is I want to ask about some of the the horses you have entered on Oaks and Derby Day. Let's go over kind of some of what you got running, then we'll go from there. Okay. Through the app. All right, Kenny. So Oaks Day, you've got a horse uh in race number two, decadent. How do you feel about that one?

SPEAKER_03 4:26

She was supposed to run at Oaklawn, and the race didn't fail repeatedly. Okay. This race is a lot tougher. The only thing I don't like about this, I mean, this Philly's great at stakes place, but she doesn't get to run for the Kentucky money either. However, she has a very good race on her on her form over Churchill at this distance.

SPEAKER_06 4:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 4:45

So um I think I can go in it cautiously optimistic. Um this is a this is a little tougher race than some of the others she's been in this year. But um, can she win? She's gonna have to have things go her way.

SPEAKER_05 4:55

Okay. Race three, you got two. We got Miss Call and Maximum Offer.

SPEAKER_03 5:00

Both Phillies I like. Actually, I'm shocked that Miss Call is 10 to 1. If I were gambling, I would gamble on Miss Call. Yeah. I mean, she's she's a Philly that's looks like she's propelling herself next level. And um the other Philly um maximum offer has a really good race two back, but didn't didn't run well in graded company. So this is a better this is a better spot for her. Uh if I was gambling, I'd bet on Miss Call, but we ought to be able to win the race with one or the other.

SPEAKER_05 5:27

Okay, that's fantastic. Um I'm gonna stay at Churchill here. You've got a couple at Oaklawn as well, but I'm gonna stay at Churchill. Um race six, our two girls.

SPEAKER_03 5:37

Outside chance, you know, she's got to step up. She's she she regressed a little bit in her last run. Um we thought she'd move forward, but um things are gonna have to go her way to win.

SPEAKER_05 5:48

And then race 12, this is you know, another one of your good ones, taken by the wind.

SPEAKER_03 5:53

Well, here we go with the state vets. They've looked at her repeatedly today. We keep saying, we went through this last year. This is her. I mean, we love 30 to 1's ridiculous number. Love her chances, actually. For me, she's six or seven to one in my mind. But um, the vets are looking at her again, and we've had this argument with them, and they and she the way she jogs is is a little bit unusual, but she's sound as a bell. But um, this has my been my frustration with the vets, and um here we go again. So there's a chance she may get. Let's see if they let her run.

SPEAKER_05 6:26

All right. Yeah. Um we're gonna get we're gonna do the whole derby as you kind of did last year, but let's go over Derby Day with what you've got running. Uh well, I actually let me sorry, let me move back one. I'm gonna go back to Oak's Day. You've got two runner at Oaklawn. Uh people ask about those all the time. So uh Paul's recovery.

SPEAKER_03 6:45

Needs pace set up, was real disappointed in his first run, and he's gonna need to be coming late. But he he was really soft in his first run. And uh this horse trains really good, but he might just be a plotter. I don't know. I don't know that it I'm going over there with a lot of confidence. Maximum offer. Yep. That's a really good spot for that Colt. And um, I think they've got him second choice down there right now. But he he's he's sitting on he's vicious right now in the barn. He was feeling so good.

SPEAKER_05 7:13

Oh, that's good. All right, good news. All right, let's go Derby Day. Race two, very connected.

SPEAKER_03 7:18

Yeah, JJ Gray is gonna be scratched and very connected. That's at Oaklawn, right? Yeah. But he very connected just ran really good second at Keeland. I'm surprised he's 12-1. Um, that's a good play. Yeah, it's a tough race. This race every year can produce take winner. I mean, I was second in this race with Sarava years back, and then he comes back and he wins the Sir Barton, then wins the Belmont. So that this A other than it's an A other than allowance race is and has been historically a very, very tough race. And um, in this case, it's it's another tough race. I mean, we're 12-1. So we he but he he's training super. And then blackout time is probably my play of the weekend.

SPEAKER_05 8:02

So blackout time's in racing behind on derby day.

SPEAKER_03 8:05

Yeah, this is a really good horse, and and we're real excited about this run.

SPEAKER_05 8:09

I mean, for a long time we thought blackout time might be a derby horse.

SPEAKER_03 8:11

Yeah, well, he didn't get the points, but he this is a winning year in for the English Derby, which I've talked about before. So we're gonna give him a run. He's trained really well on it, and um, yeah, I mean, then this race is wide open. It's a very, very tough race to handicap.

SPEAKER_05 8:29

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 8:29

And well, with him without any turf form, you're not gonna they're not gonna be able to really know handicap him in.

SPEAKER_05 8:35

You've always said he was gonna be really good on turf.

SPEAKER_03 8:37

Yeah. First divisions popped a quarter crack at Oakland. He is not going to run on Saturday. Okay. Trophy husband is a maiden first her. He he's gonna need the run. Um we can win the the Arkansas Breeders Championship with Zippy Marcus 5-2 and Honey's to blame six to one. So we we'll win that race with one or the other. Now let's get to the derby. All right, yep. Or do you want to No, let's break it down.

SPEAKER_05 9:02

This is what everybody's hearing. Let's do Derby.

SPEAKER_03 9:05

Okay. And and I can't tell you that I have really wrapped my head around the Oaks all that well. Okay. But the Derby I have.

SPEAKER_05 9:15

Okay. And you've seen a lot of these horses train.

SPEAKER_03 9:18

Yeah, I mean I watched Potente train this morning. That horse can win. Really? Yeah. He's coming off a second in Santa Anita. Bob Bafford doesn't come to the Derby without a machine gun.

SPEAKER_05 9:33

Especially now with everything he's been through.

SPEAKER_03 9:36

Um he's ultra impressive to watch go. I think it's a two-horse race.

SPEAKER_05 9:40

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 9:41

I think it's him or Renegade.

SPEAKER_05 9:43

Even at the one spot?

SPEAKER_03 9:44

Yeah, that doesn't mean anything. Well, why is everybody everybody's acting like that's a big deal. Superstitious. That doesn't mean anything. Mystic Dan basically was he's in the three-hole, but then when the one stumbled, then he inherited the rail. The rail's a good place to be. It's a ground saver.

SPEAKER_05 10:04

Especially now, I saw I was watching something to where the the gate, the starting gate's been moved over a little bit, so it's a little bit easier of a straight shot. It's not, you don't have to turn.

SPEAKER_03 10:14

It's one gate. But that ain't gonna hurt him at all. And then for that matter, I think it's an advantage.

SPEAKER_05 10:20

Why, why did why is everybody making a big deal about it and saying they're not gonna bet him now that he's in the in the one-hole?

SPEAKER_03 10:27

No, that's just chatter.

SPEAKER_05 10:29

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 10:29

Don't worry about it. All right. There's a bunch of bunch of keyboard geniuses out there.

SPEAKER_05 10:33

All right, so two horse race. So you like Renegade.

SPEAKER_03 10:36

Love Renegade. Um, he is he's got quarter cracks, he's gonna run in three-quarter shoes. People are gonna read about that. That's nothing. That's no big deal. I don't like running in three-quarter shoes. You train in them because what happens is that shoe puts pressure on the crack. The horse's got a little quarter crack. Yep. Quarter cracks are safe, they're not a problem. Um, it'd be like you run them with a hangnail. I mean, but they'll run sometimes and the horse might bleed in them a little bit afterwards. It's rare, but it does happen when those cracks open up. And horses, when they have their feet, so in some cases, they're thin soled feet, and the thorbred itself is a bit of a thin foot as a horse goes, right? They're very thin-sole. And um, and thin thin walls. And that's why we deal with those things. But these are not dangerous. When you hear crack, three-quartered shoe, don't worry a thing about it. Look at the horse's for him. Okay. This horse runs well, he's gonna love Churchill. Okay. But but I think he's definitely one to beat. But him and these are the horses that I have circled with with a what I think a really serious chance is Renegade, Albus, no. And I finished behind Albus last time, and my horse is a no. I'm not gonna tout him to anybody. He's gonna have to grind it out, and I hope he gets a check out of it. Um, Intrepito, no. Um, his form doesn't look strong enough. Lipmus test, no. Um, I trained his half-sister, but he he was good last year, but he got whipped up by litmus test too. He got beat 12 links to litmus test. Worst defeat of his career. Um Renegade beat him. Um right to party. I've said no. I'm not gonna get on.

SPEAKER_05 12:27

But there's a chance right to party could come late.

SPEAKER_03 12:30

He's gonna come late, but there's other horses that might come late too. But I think there's some others that are gonna come stronger late. But I'm I I look I'm this is a nice horse. I mean, but everything's gonna have to fall on his line in line. He's gonna have to save trip, he's save ground. Um, he'll probably tuck in somewhere there near renegade. He's gonna save ground on both turns.

SPEAKER_05 12:53

You gotta like the five-hole, though.

SPEAKER_03 12:55

Yeah, I like inside. I was really pleased with inside. That's his best chance. And um he's gonna need to move up ten points off of his last race. And that's a lot. Yeah. He's gotta show he's a lot faster than he's shown. Um speed wins this race.

SPEAKER_05 13:10

How's the workouts been?

SPEAKER_03 13:11

Workouts have been steady. He likes to gallop in company with another horse. It's a little unconventional. But um, but he's doing he's doing well. I mean, commandment, you know, I don't like the way he tried, I don't think he's uh got the big long extension stride to win this race. He looks more like a sprinter, but he's been four starts last four wins. Yep. Um he's getting it done. Um Dan and Bourbon, like I said, I don't think he I don't think this is I think it's gonna be.

SPEAKER_05 13:36

So you're not convinced the Japanese horses can win? No.

SPEAKER_03 13:39

Um it's gonna blow his mind. So happy, I would be surprised. His last race was brilliant, but he looks a little light behind to me. Like um, he doesn't look like a horse that with quite enough power.

SPEAKER_05 13:52

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 13:53

Um the Puma, if you go back, Renegade whipped him. People love the Puma though. Yeah, but three races back, he Renegade walked away from him. He got beat six lengths to Renegade. Um with a horse named Wayne's Law in there, and Wayne's Law hadn't come back and done anything. Uh Commandment beat him, and like I said, I'm I don't think Commandment's the horse this year. Um let's see. And he won the Tampa Bay Derby as a maiden, so he's got one win. Wonder Dean, that's the other Japanese horse. Wonder, there you go. Okay. No, don't see it. Incredible. This is a horse that I think is a very big play. Very, very easy.

SPEAKER_05 14:34

Incredible, okay.

SPEAKER_03 14:34

Two starts, two wins at Churchill Downs. He's training really well, beautiful mover, loving awesome again, Mayor. Um Dean and Greg Baer, the breeders are on an incredible roll right now. Here's the thing about Incredible. I believe in higher powers, I believe in everything happens for a reason. The owner of Incredible passed away last year. Incredible man. I w I would have loved to have had horses for the family, but Jim Bernhardt was an amazing man and he passed away.

SPEAKER_06 15:11

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 15:11

And I believe in higher powers. This horse is for me, if you're going with the mojo and and and um I believe in angels, that horse can win. And uh he loves it here. He's coming off an exceptionally good race in Virginia, and he loves Churchill Downs. Okay. He's gonna have to wiggle his way through the pack. But this kid Torres is riding really well. Yep. And Riley Mott, fine young man. Yep. Apple didn't fall very far from the tree with him and Billy Mott. Yep. Fantastic representative of the sport and the future of the sport. I mean, he he if he knocks this one off, his career is nothing but, you know, yeah, flying for a long, long time. Yep. But I'm really good chance on that. I like that horse. Um, Chief Wallaby with Billy, the you know, this is the father trying to beat the son here. Sure. Um, you know, look, nice horse. Got didn't get be far in the Florida Derby. But for me, um actually he he trains probably better than even commandment right now. I think he'll move forward off his last race. He does have a chance. He wouldn't, I wouldn't toss him at all. Okay. But um, but I think some others I like better. Silent tactics out with a foot issue. Bob Baffert, potent to bet this horse, put this horse in there. He's the best looking horse on the racetrack. He's the best bred on the horse horse on the racetrack. He's the most expensive horse on the racetrack.

SPEAKER_06 16:37

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 16:38

And he is impressive to watch go. I can't give you on one hand horses that I've had work 57 and four at Churchill Downs, which means he stepped across it and loved it. Yeah. Um like I said, him and Renegade. Matter of fact, if I had to pick one on top, I'd probably pick pick Potential. Okay. Baffert knocking out his record tying.

SPEAKER_05 16:59

Okay. So uh and I'll probably throw this in there, but um, Robbie, he Alberto, he said he liked Renegade too. And his reasoning I thought was interesting, um, he said uh who's on him? Is it Irad? Who's running? Renegade? Yeah, Irad. Irad had a choice between three horses and chose that one. Correct. Yeah, and he felt like that was uh that was there was a lot of reason behind it.

SPEAKER_03 17:25

He wasn't gonna say no to Mike Ripoli. Well makes sense.

SPEAKER_05 17:29

That's his daddy. That makes sense anyway.

SPEAKER_03 17:31

Yeah, tough decision young man had to make, or somebody made. Yeah. Um, let's see, Emerging Market isn't is another one. I he's a very, very good horse. You know, it this is a horse that I love his stride, everything about him. Um he's got you're gonna find out how tough he is in this derby, but I think he's gonna be a horse that's gonna be mid-pack mid-pack. Okay. He he has a chance, but I would put him below Renegade and put potente. I was betting on top, I'd go Potente, um Renegade, probably emerging market, and figure Incredible in there somewhere.

SPEAKER_06 18:10

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 18:11

Yeah. There you go. There's my top four. There you go. Um Pavlovian, I don't see a cowbread winning the race. He he had he struggled through cowbreads, and I think his race in Louisiana, it may show that the Louisiana race was a little weaker because the cowbread came in and ran well. And emerging market just headed him. And like I said, that pushes for me emerging market down because of his level of competition. Right. Um Pavlovian is two for ten. So, like I said, I think that would be a huge surprise. Um six speed would be a huge surprise coming out of um Dubai. Further ado. The horses that finished behind him in the bluegrass were soft. Not not top horses, but he was beaten by Puma, and Puma was beaten by Renegade.

SPEAKER_06 19:08

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 19:08

So I think IRAD's right to take off him and and and uh move over. He has looked good on the racetrack, though. Further ado. All right, and then full efforts, full of full effort is out. Um, I think I saw that announce.

SPEAKER_05 19:25

Yeah, but in and there's there's a gray horse that's in it now.

SPEAKER_03 19:28

Yeah, great white.

SPEAKER_05 19:29

Great white, and great, a huge horse. Massive.

SPEAKER_03 19:33

Yeah. But I don't see I don't see him winning. It could be 22 links in the bluegrass. Didn't he's working at the training center. I don't think any horses ever come out of the training center in one.

SPEAKER_05 19:44

Why are they doing that?

SPEAKER_03 19:46

So we're we're John where John Enus is stable. John's an excellent horse trainer.

SPEAKER_06 19:50

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 19:51

Yeah. Um, I think that gets Whit Beckman's horse in. He's another one. He finished behind us in the in the wood, the O'Celly. I think he draws in now. But but the last horse I'm gonna talk about is Golden Tempo. So this is a very, very handsome horse. I mean, I've eyeballed him in the paddock in Louisiana a couple, three times. And um he is a he's a gorgeous horse. If he moves forward, he's for me the deep closer with a chance. If a bunch of these jocks make some mistakes, the horse that's gonna be flying is gonna be Golden Tempo.

SPEAKER_06 20:28

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 20:28

He will be fly, he would be flying at the end. Flying at the end.

SPEAKER_06 20:32

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 20:33

Now, if emerging market, if you like him, I think that Golden Tempo, if he moves forward, will catch emerging market late. So I think you could you could maybe put emerging market in as is I'm sorry, Golden Tempo is uh maybe slide him in the middle there. So I basically I'm giving you five horses. Bafford on top, potente, renegade, um let's see, Incredibolt, emerging market, and Golden Tempo flying late.

SPEAKER_06 21:10

Love it.

SPEAKER_03 21:11

Yeah. There you go. I mean, if you mix those up, I think those are your five, I think those are your five best chances.

SPEAKER_05 21:19

Now it's a derby. Anything can happen.

SPEAKER_03 21:22

If I had to toss one of those, I would toss to mer toss emerging market because he's he's a light, lighter type horse. So now we're down to four then. Potente, renegade, incredible, and golden temple.

SPEAKER_05 21:37

There you go. Man, I mean. Alright, we'll see. I tell you what, you had this thing nailed last year.

SPEAKER_03 21:43

I think those four horses are our best chance.

SPEAKER_05 21:46

Anything change if we have weather?

SPEAKER_03 21:49

No. Shouldn't. Um, off track. I think that'd help my horse, but I still wouldn't put him in the top five. Um Yeah, I think that's good. I mean, um I don't see any any any mud form on any of these. Most of the end of mischiefs like it.

SPEAKER_06 22:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 22:07

You know, Mystic Dan, he's in the mischief line, they like it. Yeah. So you've got, you know, that's once again, you know, Potente and Renegade, both into mischief lines.

SPEAKER_05 22:19

So all right. Obviously you you were tempering expectations. What does Derby Day look like for you then? I heard you tell FanDuel TV the other day that it was kind of like, listen, the pressure's off, you've won. You know, i i is that kind of how you feel? Kind of no pressure, just enjoy the day, or how do you feel about it?

SPEAKER_03 22:38

Yeah, I'm I'm I'm I it's it's a calming feeling having won it. Yeah. Um, you know, you don't you don't feel uh you don't feel any pressure at all. I mean, I th this is a horse that's gonna be a long price. He's gonna be 50, 30, 40, 50 to 1. I don't know what it'll be. Uh they'll bet on him because of the name. Sure. Um but no no, it I think the calmer you are through it all, the better chance you got, and you can't get all wound up about it. Um there there are so many things out of your control. And um I'm trying to enjoy Derby and enjoy Oaks and everything. Still um moving, you know, I don't I'm not saying I'm moving 100% with the with the neck and everything, so I'm pacing myself at 63 years young. I understand. I understand. A lot of people around the barns. Yeah, there's all this flow of people through the barns.

SPEAKER_05 23:29

Oh, it's it was crazy on this past Saturday.

SPEAKER_03 23:34

Which I enjoy doing. I enjoy doing, but I'll also look forward to the calm of Sunday and Monday next week.

SPEAKER_05 23:39

Yeah, when all the people are on the backside anymore.

SPEAKER_03 23:41

Yep, yep.

SPEAKER_05 23:42

Yeah, I that makes perfect sense. I mean, it's uh it's a madhouse back there right now, but it's a really cool place to be, Derby Week. Do we try to handicap the oaks while I'd tell you, I mean, people would love it if you think you can want to take a shot at it.

SPEAKER_03 23:56

Well, the the oaks is a is a funny one because a lot of these Phillies, I don't see this standout. I think it's probably one of the most wide-open Oaks I've ever ever laid eyes on. The horse that that I know that I'm ultra impressed by would be Zaney. Okay. But she was beaten in her last start by Percy's barr. And personally, I would love to see Ben Carbrook win the race. But um once again, you know, Baffert's coming, he's coming from uh Oakland. Explora got sick out there and wasn't able to run in the fantasy. But she's another one through a 58-4 breeze here. I mean, Bob could win the McDouble.

SPEAKER_05 24:39

The McDouble. What do you what do you think of lovely gray? Let's see. That's Dave Portnoy's horse, and he has been adamant that this thing's gonna win.

SPEAKER_03 24:49

Let's see. She drew in off the also eligible. No, she I mean, the bourbon at Oaks is probably one of the weakest three-year-old Philly stakes in the country. No, she's she's not gonna get there.

SPEAKER_05 25:05

We gotta get Port Noy with you. We gotta get some of his horses. He only buys gray horses, which I think is kind of cool.

SPEAKER_03 25:10

I don't know that. But I think it's kind of neat. We need down the street from my stable in Saratoga. Oh, really? He crosses by everything. He never can remember my name.

SPEAKER_05 25:19

Yeah, well, that's that's understandable.

SPEAKER_03 25:21

He's uh Yeah, I'm not very recognized.

SPEAKER_05 25:23

Yeah, well, I'm just saying.

SPEAKER_03 25:24

I I I could understand where he walked right past me like I don't exist. Yeah, okay. Such a big shot. I'd love to see Percy's. I think I think the the Ashland race is probably the key race. Percy's bar and zany. Percy's bar, she's she's she's tougher than old rope. That one she's she ran early, she's run in between Alcibiades winner. Bella Ballerina, you've got to add in. Um prom Queen. You've got you've got to put her in. It's wide open oak. So I I haven't dug into that one quite as quite as hard, but um if I had to bet one, I'd probably bet you know Explorer.

SPEAKER_05 26:07

Couple questions here before we get out of here. Um obviously in our last podcast, you you you went in a little bit on the state vets, and we got a ton of support on that. Now there's a little bit of pushback. And what I want what I want you to do is is respond to some of the pushback that's come back. Sure. Um, some of the people are saying, hey, Kenny, it's it's safety versus subjectivity. Trainers may disagree with the vets, but the data shows a vetted-out horses have a higher risk of injury.

SPEAKER_03 26:40

Well, it's subjectivity that's too extreme. I mean, that they're okay, if you're going to put a horse on the list and then they can't find anything, then let the horse off the list. I mean, we're they're the bureaucracy of getting a horse off the list is is dramatic. I mean, it's it's time consuming, it's very expensive, and I think they're wrong more than they're right. Yeah. I mean, you got last week at Keeneland, last day of the meet, they had 11 horses regulatory vet scratched.

SPEAKER_05 27:09

And that's unheard of.

SPEAKER_03 27:10

Not even 90 in the on the card. It's unheard of. Yeah, they've already got somebody said they've already got 37 scratches in the first 38 races at Churchill. I mean, this is not that the fans are looking at it. I brought new fans of the races at Keeneland. They're going, are all these horses injured?

SPEAKER_06 27:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 27:29

Huh? Well, not in our opinion, but they've been they're getting so picky to the point where look, every horse that runs hard, tries hard, has issues. That's something. A good trainer knows the issues, they we work on the issues. We our pro we're we're problem solvers. You don't bring everything it's not like race cars, you just can't change tires. Correct. All right, and that's not to mean that the tire's gonna blow. Right. But horses are are are the they're it's just this living, breathing art. And the state vets have lost it. They're doing everything on this you this uh artificial AI, and it's just not AI. We are not, we are not, you can't artificial intelligence the way a horse moves. Totally agree. Taken by the wind is a Philly, she toes in left front and she's off setting her knees, so she has this unusual gait. And they can't that that artificial intelligent app cannot figure out what to do with her. Well, you can't retire her. Right. We've x-rayed her, she's clean. We've scanned her, she's clean. And and horse trainers, I mean, we know our horses. If sure, if you don't trust us, that's where the that's where the problem, and I've used the word toxic and I've used the word dysfunctional, because horse trainers that know their horse and know how they're moving, but the state vets are using artificial intelligence who don't know the horse and don't know how they move and don't know their history, and so there's got to be a better balance. And the balance it's way out of balance right now.

SPEAKER_05 28:57

Yeah, yeah, understood. Um one person said, listen, what what's motivating these these vets to scratch so many? Is there legal liability? Is there money involved? What what's behind this?

SPEAKER_03 29:10

Well, um I think they've finally gotten to the point where this is well just scratch more, and that and that way we can maybe hope we miss one. Or hope hope hope we get the one that was gonna break down. Truth is that horses with issues typically don't break down. Horses with no issues are the ones that break down. Uh-huh. Because it's a seismoid bone, it's a um cannon bone, and you can recognize those things with bone with the x-rays and scans. Um and yet uh when a horse is at full speed, the ones that are at full speed are the ones that are they don't have issues.

SPEAKER_06 29:45

Right.

SPEAKER_03 29:46

So they're scratching horses with in some cases they're scratching fields of slow horses. I mean, slow horses don't get hurt. Yeah, they're not fast enough.

SPEAKER_06 29:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 29:55

I mean, uh it's hard to explain to the some to the uh lay person out there that doesn't know. And it's horse trainers, we uh dot every eye across every teeth. We have no reward for a horse getting injured. Sure. None. How is it that we can spend a year, two years with a horse, and that they look at a horse 15 seconds on a AI app and they say, Oh, he's not unsound to run. Right. Wait a second. Really? Yeah. Why do you even need me? Right. I spent a year or two years with a horse, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 30:29

Now in my opinion, it doesn't matter.

SPEAKER_03 30:33

The horse can't run.

SPEAKER_05 30:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 30:34

No, sorry. And then you explain to him you this morning I told him on take a she's never been injected, she doesn't train on any mute, she's never had a fracture, she's never had anything of any consequence. Well, we don't like the way she moves. Well, that was the case last year, and she keeps winning. Right. Right. So I don't get it. It's it's a head scratcher for all of us. I'm the only one that's saying anything because of this podcast.

SPEAKER_05 31:03

I know.

SPEAKER_03 31:04

Well trainers don't have the voice, they don't have they don't have the for the format.

SPEAKER_05 31:08

I tell you who's been out talking is Ripoli. I don't know if you've noticed that, but he's been publicly saying some things.

SPEAKER_03 31:14

Yeah, well, he sends me messages. He says, keep going, keep going, keep going. And every trainer that I see, thank you, thank you. Oh, I guarantee it. Thank you, thank you.

SPEAKER_05 31:22

Yeah, I saw a little bit of that too.

SPEAKER_03 31:24

Yeah, I get it all the time. They said one guy said, keep potting, whatever that is. Potting? Keep potting. Okay. Because he knows I'm speaking for him. Um They need to slow, but that's need to back down. They need to come to trainers and say, Are you comfortable with the source? Yes. Okay.

SPEAKER_05 31:40

Then rock and roll.

SPEAKER_03 31:41

Let us run.

SPEAKER_05 31:43

Um one of our listeners says you talk constantly about watching a horse's health. Do you regularly weigh your horses?

SPEAKER_03 31:49

Well, we did. The problem with weighing them is that we move them all the time, and then get getting a scale for a thousand-pound horse, you have to have a cattle scale or more to be able to weigh them. I went through a stage in my career, I love weighing my horses. Actually, I wish that they would weigh them. I wish we had a centralized scale to weigh horses at every racetrack. But because horses are spread all over the stable area, having a scale is and one centralized, balanced, maintained scale is a problem. When I was weighing, Bob Baffert used to bring point giving over. Biggest thoroughbred I ever put on that scale. He was massive. Yeah. And had funny, he had quarter cracks too. But um, but Take Charge Lady had a regular weight she ran at in South America. They weigh the horses pre-race.

SPEAKER_06 32:43

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 32:43

Um LASIK affects a horse's weight. And I think when a horse's weight is is um, there is an ideal weight. When their weight's down, they don't run as strong. When their weight's too heavy, they might run. So it's um, yeah, I think it's a tool that that American racing needs to utilize, but it's having the the that tool or the weight, the scale available to everybody that actually works. And main I've got a scale at my Churchill Barnes, scale at Keeneland Barnes, scale at my farm, but I don't have one at Oaklawn, I don't have one at the fairgrounds, right? I don't have one at Gulfstream, and I don't have one at Saratoga. Right. You know, so it kind of, you know, we have we have to deal with all that.

SPEAKER_05 33:23

Yeah, and these horses are moving around constantly, so yeah. It's it's not easy to to to always know exactly what they weigh.

SPEAKER_03 33:30

Get the people to maintain the scales is brutal. I mean, we've got two scales, and if they break, uh you get somebody to come in and fix a fix a uh uh livestock scale. Oh and where you place them in the barn is hard. Yeah. Because you can't find any room for them.

SPEAKER_05 33:44

Right. Yeah, all right. Well, there you go. Well, that answers that question because you know, a listener was curious. And I was actually a little curious about that too, because I didn't know if there was an ideal weight, but it sounds like there is. Well, I mean, Kenny, listen, if people listen, um, hopefully you make them some money this year. We'll see. Well, you had it nailed last year.

SPEAKER_03 34:03

That that potential trained beautifully today. Uh you know, I I I was actually saying renegade, renegade, renegade until this morning.

SPEAKER_05 34:12

Yeah, then you kind of change your tune a little bit.

SPEAKER_03 34:13

I think Bob wins again.

unknown 34:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 34:15

That'd be kind of cool to see him back in it. That's everything he's been through. His man's putting up the money now.

SPEAKER_03 34:21

Really? Yeah, I mean, his that the own the ownership on on um on that horse, you know, he he um You said it was the most expensive. You have any idea what it was when it was bought? Well, that Speedway stables. I'd have to see, is that a partnership? Anyway, Bob, you know, Bob's got he told me one time years ago, he said, Man, you can't imagine the horses they're putting in my barn. He says blind man can win with these. He's cool. Yeah, don't don't begrudge him on everything that he went through years back. He that that was uh for me a more of a misunderstanding that that needed to be communicated a little bit better, but but it it don't be surprised if he wins again.

SPEAKER_05 34:59

Yeah, I'd like to see it. It'd be good for the for the industry, I think. Yeah. All right, man. Well, good luck. Hopefully, uh hopefully we surprise some people. It'd be fun.

SPEAKER_03 35:08

Yeah, it'd be fun. It'd be a fun week. Um, I got a couple friends flying in. I got to pick them up in 35 minutes at the airport. Yep. Um we're gonna go run one. We're gonna chill for the afternoon. We're gonna probably find someplace decent for dinner tonight.

SPEAKER_06 35:21

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 35:22

And then tomorrow's big interesting day, long day. Probably walk over for a couple races. I'm done 7:40 tomorrow night. And then Saturday brunch at the house, and Sherry's got all that organized. Love it. Yeah, it's it's an exciting weekend. It's gonna, we're gonna, we're gonna enjoy it.

SPEAKER_05 35:37

On Twitter or X, you had uh you had somebody had backed out of some tickets, you were looking to move them. Did you get those moved?

SPEAKER_03 35:43

We did. Those those went in moments notice. You know, last year, it's funny because every a month out, everybody, give me a box, give me a box. Oh, I'm sure. We get them, and then of course a week before you go, oh, well, I'm not gonna go.

SPEAKER_05 35:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 35:53

Oh, wait a second. Now that's a ten thousand dollar box.

SPEAKER_05 35:56

Well, and not only that, what you were offering that was like uh walking over with Wright's party.

SPEAKER_03 36:01

They can walk over with me. It's not a problem.

SPEAKER_05 36:03

So uh back in the day, this was when I was in college, so we're talking 2000 years. It was probably year 2000. My dad had a one of a 1,000th stake of a horse, and we had a little owner's pen. And back in the day, that would get you in the backside and let you walk over. So two races before the Derby, we walked a friend from mine who I was on the golf team with from Australia. We walked from the backside over to the front where, you know, hundreds of thousands of people. To this day, he still tells me that was the coolest moment of his life because he was like walking that track, going to see all those bees. It was unbelievable. So that that I mean, that's a moment that I mean, you offered that with those tickets. I was sitting there thinking you can't even pay for that.

SPEAKER_00 36:47

It's like a stock market for race horses. Morningline.io. Kentucky, Derby weekend. It's one of the richest weekends in all of horse racing, and Morningline has a full race card with shares available now. Experience the thrill of your horse running down the stretch in historic Churchill down. And if you claim victory, you can put your shares on the first animal or stay alone for the ride. Live sell trade. Own the game. Morningline.io.

SPEAKER_03 37:17

Well, there's actually an eight-seater box that that make that's open. It's expensive though.

SPEAKER_05 37:25

I'm gonna bet.

SPEAKER_03 37:25

Yeah, the owner won at 20,000. Um, it's it's not my box, but somebody pitch it to me. It isn't sold yet. Um, 315G box 11.

SPEAKER_06 37:36

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 37:37

It's a top top box for eight people. If somebody's if they get this in time, office at McPeakRacing.com and let Lauren sort it out. But I mean, he might take a little less than the 20, but if it's a primo box. Can I get the whoever buys it to walk over with me? I don't know if I can do that or not, but I'll try. Okay, there you go. Yeah, I'll try. You can come to the bar and I can tell you that.

SPEAKER_05 38:02

Yeah, that's awesome. Yeah. That's awesome. All right.

SPEAKER_03 38:05

Well, hopefully we make some money. I'm sending back for to know right now. What are you telling him? I'm saying your cult potente looks amazing. Kenny win.

SPEAKER_05 38:18

Maybe we get some real time. We better stay on a little couple seconds longer. I'm gonna show you some backside footage as uh as Kenny's watching this. And actually, we had had a um I had a great conversation with Jose uh and when we were in the backside. What a neat guy. He said his mind's like a steel trap, but neat dude. So he does all your your all your entries now.

SPEAKER_03 38:37

Yeah, you know, interesting. His dad rode for me.

SPEAKER_05 38:39

His dad won the derby.

SPEAKER_03 38:40

Yeah, his dad, his dad rode for me before he won the derby. And actually, Mike Salito had his book, and we I'm gonna say that between Mike kindly resurrected Jose back in a little valley of his career. And uh Joe, it was three or four years old.

SPEAKER_05 38:56

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 38:56

And I've got wind photos of Joe and I. Oh, that's cool. Did you get a good video with Joe?

SPEAKER_05 39:01

Yeah, yeah. I got a nice little interview with him, too.

SPEAKER_03 39:03

I'm gonna send you win photo of Joe in the call in the Calder Derby. Oh, that's so tropical park derby in the day. Yeah, and he wasn't that tall. Oh, I'll bet. He wasn't that tall.

SPEAKER_05 39:13

He grew up in it. Now he's a jockey agent.

SPEAKER_03 39:14

He's a fine young man, just got married. He does. He's he's got he he does all my intrigues. And Frank Bernice with Brian was doing them for a long time. I decided to just give them all to Joe. But he seems sharp. He's a bit like family. He's sharp. Yeah. My oldest daughter and hit him and his sisters used to slumber party back in back in the um early 2000s. Good young man. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. He he does. He's got an incredible mind for all this.

SPEAKER_05 39:41

Oh, you can tell.

SPEAKER_03 39:42

Yeah, he knows every horse, everywhere they're running, does it with a smile on his face, comes in a good mood. Jose Santos Jr., uh jockey agent.

SPEAKER_05 39:50

So, Jose, obviously um busy right now. So it seems like you're doing all of Kenny's entries.

SPEAKER_01 39:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 39:56

How long have you been doing that?

SPEAKER_01 39:57

Uh right now, doing all of them just recently. But I've always had like divisions I did. I would do Oakland and New York, uh, helped out a golf stream for a while, and uh now I'm doing them everywhere.

SPEAKER_05 40:09

Tell us who your dad was.

SPEAKER_01 40:10

Jose Santos, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 40:12

Yeah, so renowned jockey.

SPEAKER_04 40:14

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 40:14

Hall of Fame Jockey.

SPEAKER_04 40:15

So you grew up in the business and you're based out of Miami. Yes. Um, lived in Texas for a while, right?

SPEAKER_01 40:21

Yes, yeah, Texas. I've lived uh a couple different places, Oklahoma City, Iowa, here in Kentucky.

SPEAKER_05 40:27

Um, obviously, the backside right now at Churchill Downs, Derby Week. Talk to us about this week and how special this kind of this environment is.

SPEAKER_01 40:35

Yeah, it's I mean, there's nothing like it. You know, if you're in horse racing, this is your goal to be here for Derby and enjoy everything it comes with. So it's uh being back here is like nothing you'll ever see.

SPEAKER_05 40:47

Now you're a jockey agent. What jockeys do you have right now?

SPEAKER_01 40:49

I've got uh Chris Elliott, who's riding Right to Party in the Derby. I've got uh Ray Legutiera is also in New York. He actually broke Right to Party's maiden. I've got Julian LeParoux, Manny Escobel, I've got uh Fernando Hara, Christian Ramos, Regime, Joe Bravo. So we're staying pretty busy. Amir Mendoza apprentice over at Oakman.

SPEAKER_05 41:10

Talk to us about Chris Elliott. Obviously, he's riding Right to Party in the Derby.

SPEAKER_01 41:13

Yep.

SPEAKER_05 41:14

Um young guy turned 20 a couple days ago.

SPEAKER_01 41:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 41:17

Uh talk to us about Chris and his future.

SPEAKER_01 41:20

Yeah, I mean, we're super excited about his future, obviously. You know, to get here in uh a two-year span is pretty amazing. And uh been riding for two years. Yeah, yeah, riding race professionally for two years. He grew up in the business. Right, exactly. Yeah. Tell us about it. Yeah, he's been on horses his whole life. His dad's also a jockey. Uh his dad won the Kentucky Derby in 20 uh what was it, 2004. So on Smarty Jones, actually the year after my dad won the Derby. So uh he's got a horse racing background on both his mom and dad's side. His mom's related to a bunch of different jockeys, so we're uh super excited about his future. Uh he's got a thing with horses, which is awesome. You know, he he makes them run faster than they do with other people in a lot of cases, which just comes down to hands, I believe. And uh he also has a really cool demeanor, so he can handle a lot of big moments that have been thrown in his way.

SPEAKER_04 42:13

Alright, okay. So uh obviously Ken is uh he's a little different. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 42:18

Um he is uh very outspoken, he's been very very outspoken about the vets and the regulations and things that are going on here in Kentucky. What can you say to that? What's your viewpoint right now?

SPEAKER_01 42:29

Yeah, I mean what's going on in Kentucky is unfortunate because uh we're we're having owners that don't want to be here because of it, you know, and that's you lose owners and you lose uh you lose a big part of the game, you know. They don't want to be here and you can't really blame them. They they lose a scratch and they're out for a month, you know, and that's just money.

SPEAKER_04 42:49

Right? It's different between here and yeah, and other places.

SPEAKER_01 42:51

All you gotta do is look at the scratches. I mean, you got vets everywhere, and we're the only circuit right now where they're scratching 10, 15 every day.

SPEAKER_04 43:01

So looking at you watching Kenny right now, okay. I'm not sure which one this is. That might be Max and Prime.

SPEAKER_01 43:09

Not sure either. Um how is it working for Kenny? Oh, it's easy because he's extremely organized. Okay. So that helps me because my job is filing out what he wants done.

SPEAKER_05 43:24

So well, we got a little glimpse of that, which I was kind of fascinated by. Yeah. So we you guys were going down the entries, um, but he was saying what horses, and then you're calling jockeys. Yeah. Pretty cool. Now, when you do that, do you have like jockeys in mind? Like, okay, I think this jockey could be a good fit for the case. No, no, no. That's all Kenny.

SPEAKER_01 43:43

I'm just I just do what he says. Okay. That's it. Whatever he is looking for, I'm trying to get it done.

SPEAKER_05 43:48

I don't know though, maybe you have some suggestions when we're in there. Maybe you're gonna be a good thing.

SPEAKER_01 43:52

Well, I just know his pecking order. Okay, you know, so just kind of making sure that there wasn't a change based off that horse, you know. Sure, there wasn't anyone specific he wanted that I wasn't thinking of based off what usually happens. Makes sense. But no, I'm trying to learn from him, so to suggest things would be foolish on my end. If I'm asked, you know, I'll give my opinion, but that's about the extent of it. I love it.

SPEAKER_05 44:17

I love it. Tell me about the life of a jockey agent. Is it is it fun? Is it difficult? Is it challenging?

SPEAKER_01 44:24

Yeah, there's a bunch of challenges. I think it's any job, you know, especially when it comes to uh pushing people's career forwards. There's always going to be challenges, you know. And on our end, I don't have any horses I technically can give them. Like it's all other people's horses, so we have to try to hustle the business down. But you know, it's a lot of fun. I love it. It's my passion.

SPEAKER_04 44:45

Well, I thought it was interesting.

SPEAKER_05 44:46

We were talking about Chris. Uh, Chris is um Chris isn't here right now, right? He's still in New York. Right.

SPEAKER_01 44:52

Yep.

SPEAKER_05 44:52

Um, you know, it's derby week. And and but but it sounded like, you know, it was a lot of kind of your plan. Like, hey, I you made some comment. You know, I want to make sure he fixes the routine, it's not making it bigger than it is. So I mean they they gotta be following your advice a little bit, right? Yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_01 45:07

And you know, uh this is my fourth derby map in the last seven years, so I've kind of got an idea of what the Derby Week routine looks like and how it can be. Uh, I brought a young writer to the Derby before at Ray Lou in the Derby five years ago when he rode Barber Road, and just kind of get a feel of how big that can be. Uh, he was here because he was riding in Kentucky, so there was no running away from the limelight. But with a story like theirs, there's a lot of interest and people want to talk to you about it.

SPEAKER_05 45:33

What does Derby Day look like for you? Uh will where will you be? Will you be on this side, the other side?

SPEAKER_01 45:38

I'll be on I'll be in the boxes, but I gotta stay home for a little bit because I I still have work to do. The other racetracks around the country are still entering, so I gotta handle all my business first and then I can come out and enjoy it.

SPEAKER_05 45:48

Gotcha. So will you start your morning over here?

SPEAKER_01 45:51

No, no, no. Derby Day morning, I won't be back here. I'll start just in the office, home office, just working.

SPEAKER_04 45:58

I just thought they'll see if you fit. He's looking for biscuits.

SPEAKER_05 46:11

Awesome. I'll say thank you so much. Thank you. No, thank you.

SPEAKER_01 46:15

Thank you for the great content.

SPEAKER_05 46:21

Um you're giving Chris a big opportunity here.

SPEAKER_03 46:24

Yeah, um, you know, um he's gonna need to follow the instructions, but I think he can do it. He needs to cut the corner, just think inside. And I'm sure his dad's gonna be talking to him a bit. Oh, yeah. I I I was I was uh uh connected to his dad when uh Smarty Jones won when Stewart won the derby. He got on horses for me all week that week, and uh I told him, I said, I think then 2002 we messed it up with Harlan's holiday. We should have let our horse run a little more aggressive to the first turn. And if you go back and watch the Smarty Jones Derby where there was a split that split second where Smarty Jones either had to make a hole or not, and Stuart made the hole. And I think that was that was the difference in that horse winning and losing that year.

SPEAKER_06 47:09

Wow.

SPEAKER_03 47:10

And um, I don't know if I had any uh influence over what decisions he made, but I told him, I said, we messed up, we we took back, we should have gone. Yeah. And when he went with Smarty Jones, I was watching the whole race, I said, Wow, he did it. And Stewart's gonna win the Derby one day. I'm sorry, Chris will win it one day. He uh work ethic there. Uh it gets he's gotta get his timing down a little bit better on his riding. He wrote one yesterday, moved too soon, but um good kid, and and he'll figure it out and he'll surround himself with the right horses and people, and he's um he's got a big, big future.

SPEAKER_05 47:44

That's a big opportunity for him. So hope he does well. 19, young.

SPEAKER_03 47:48

Yeah, puppy. Yeah, absolute puppy.

SPEAKER_05 47:51

Let's get the races.

SPEAKER_03 47:52

Let's see if it's the races.

SPEAKER_05 47:58

Oh, we found out that the lead singer of the Beastie Boys has passed away.

SPEAKER_03 48:01

And we knew that, and then there were two other ones kind of underground.

SPEAKER_05 48:05

And then they just kind of went away. So no beastie voice.

SPEAKER_03 48:08

Oh well.