ekansekans's blog: "df"

BALTIMORE -- One good thing about losing the Kentucky Derby is that nobody wants much of your time for two solid weeks. Lardarius Webb Jersey . Bob Bafferts countdown still had 36 hours or so left to run Friday morning when the silver-tongued Hall of Fame trainer stepped outside his barn at Pimlico Race Course and looked at the grandstand looming in the distance. "I dont really get charged up until we walk over there Saturday afternoon," Baffert said. "Thats when it really becomes the Preakness to me." Hes won the race five times in 11 tries, three of those with the Kentucky Derby winner in his barn and twice with spoilers, who have history on their side. Only 32 horses have won the first two legs of the Triple Crown in the 130-plus times both races have been run, yet Baffert had three of those, only to lose each time in the Belmont Stakes. That wont be a problem this year, since rival California trainer Doug ONeills bay colt, Ill Have Another, ran down Bafferts Bodemeister in the final few strides at Churchill Downs two weeks ago. "When you come in with the Derby winner, youre on such a high that if things dont go your way, you still feel like, No big deal," Baffert recalled. "On the other hand, if you come in here still thinking you should have won (the Derby), at least you know youre going to get a better trip. Theres fewer horses and a lot less racing luck involved." Pimlico handicapper Frank Carulli apparently felt the same way, making Bodemeister the morning-line 8-5 favourite over Ill Have Another, the second choice at 5-2. "That a lot of respect in my mind," said ONeill, whos enjoyed his turn in the sports spotlight. "If you would have said a few years ago, Hey, would you feel respected if youre 5-2 in the Preakness? I would have said, Sign me up. " ONeills willingness to mix it up was apparent when he made the drive from Louisville right after the Derby. Baffert said that after the blistering pace Bodemeister set in that race, he expected to find little left of his horse besides "hair and lactic acid." No wonder. Bodemeisters opening half-mile of 45.39 seconds was the fifth-fastest in Derby history, and none of the four horses with faster splits finished better than 13th. Only two went on to run in the Preakness, with Top Avenger finishing last in 1981 and Groovy finishing sixth of seven horses in 1986. Even so, Baffert didnt seem overly concerned. "The horse is deceiving. He will fool you. I think Mike (Smith, his jockey) didnt realize he was going 45. If they didnt have a clock there," Baffert added, "I would have thought he was going 47." Most handicappers have cast the Preakness as a two-horse race. Because there wont be a crowded field nor any speed horses to hem Bodemeister in, ONeill was inclined to agree. Though Ill Have Another didnt make his move until the horses turned for home in the 1 1/4-mile Derby, his trainer isnt inclined to let Bodemeister get loose on the lead at the 1 1/16-mile Preakness. "If somebody gets an easy lead, I want it to be us," ONeill said. "If were sitting behind, I want it to be a pretty heated pace. Those are the two scenarios Id like to see." Baffert claims not to have thought the race through that far. "I just cant map out a strategy. If he came from off the pace, Id map out a strategy, you know, Mike, you need to do this, this and this. But his strategy is just to break well and keep him in a comfortable mode. "He knows what to do," Baffert said, referring to his jockey or his horse or maybe both. A moment later, Bode, the youngest of Bafferts kids and Bodemeisters namesake, came running out of the barn, puncturing the relative silence with laughs. Baffert watched the scene and smiled ruefully. "Its been quiet all week. Every time I brought the loser of the Derby here and won, its been really quiet all week. ... He just got here," Baffert said, referring to the boy, "and he doesnt like the pressure of being asked about Bodemeister too much. When the horse got beat, he took it a little bit like its his horse. "I didnt want him to be mad at me, that I didnt do a good job training his horse or anything. Hes funny about that," Baffert said, lowering his voice. After a week of not saying too much, Baffert wasnt about to tempt fate now. Torrey Smith NFL Jersey . PETERSBURG, Fla. Ray Lewis Jersey . 11 Georgetown at the Verizon Center. Blair was coming off his worst game of the season, a foul-plagued, two-point, two-rebound effort on Wednesday against Rutgers. He eclipsed his point total in the first minute with two baskets to give Pittsburgh a 4-0 lead and the Panthers never trailed on the way to ending Georgetowns 29-game home winning streak. http://www.nflravensfansshop.com/haloti-ngata-jersey/ . 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HOLTBY STONES BRUINSCapitals rookie G Braden Holtby saved the day for the Capitals, turning aside 44 of the Bruins shots he faced to preserve Washingtons 2-1 win, which tied the series at two games apiece.Tempe, AZ (Sports Network) - Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kevin Kolb is recovering from concussion-like symptoms after taking a blow to the head during Sundays game against the San Francisco 49ers. Kolb took a hard hit prior to attempting a throw on the teams first offensive series. He was taken out of the game and replaced by John Skelton. "There are a number of different steps you haave to go through, and obviously player safety is very important," head coach Ken Whisenhunt said on Monday. Haloti Ngata Jersey. . "I dont have a timetable on it." Skelton threw for 282 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions on 19- of-28 passing while leading Arizona to a 21-19 victory. Kolb was making just his second start since missing four games with a turf toe injury. ' ' '