Daily to Derby

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers and mother figures out there — and a special tip of the cap to Carrumba, the mare who produced Golden Tempo. More on her soon. 🌹

Growth Equity Wins — Brown Noncommittal on Belmont

Call me Captain Wrong — Growth Equity, not Trendsetter, took the Peter Pan at Aqueduct on Saturday. Chad Brown's Nyquist colt ranged up four wide on the turn, took command at the top of the stretch, and drew off by two lengths under Flavien Prat in 1:50.25. Talk to Me Jimmy set the pace through fractions of :23.80 and :48.35 before getting collared. Trendsetter, my pick, was third, 3 1/4 lengths behind Talk to Me Jimmy.

The interesting part: Brown is NOT committing to the Belmont. "He didn't scream to me like he wanted more ground after this, so I'm not sure I'm in a hurry to get him out to a mile and a quarter in the Belmont. There are a lot of mile-and-an-eighth races that are just fine."

Growth Equity has now improved in every start — 2nd, 2nd, maiden win, graded stakes win. Brown: "A horse that keeps getting faster on numbers the first four starts — you have to like that." The Belmont waives entry and starting fees for the top three Peter Pan finishers, so the door is open if Klaravich wants to walk through it.

Talk to Me Jimmy is under consideration for the Belmont as well as the New York Derby at Finger Lakes in July. Trendsetter's connections haven't indicated next steps.

👉 Full recap: Growth Equity Dominates Peter Pan (Horse Racing Nation)

100 Years of Phipps Stable

Daisy Phipps Pulito joined Billy Koch and Michelle Yu on the Owner's Box this week — her third podcast ever, two of which happened in the last few days. Some highlights:

This is Phipps Stable's 100th anniversary year. Her grandmother started Wheatley Stable a century ago. First year of the full St. Elias partnership on colts, Derby winner. You can't script this.

On the partnership structure: St. Elias partners on the colts. The fillies stay Phipps Stable. The broodmare band — the foundation of everything — remains in Daisy's hands.

On Golden Tempo as a baby: "He was always just kind of there. Pudgy. Didn't show a lot of speed." Bred, foaled, and raised at Claiborne Farm. Some things never change.

On going into the Derby: "I expected and hoped that we would finish in the top five." They treated the prep races as exactly that — preps. "We finished a half a length behind Paladin. When we wanted more distance and it was a speed-favoring track."

And one detail that made me smile: Daisy and her mom name the horses. Using ChatGPT. Eat your heart out, Claude.

The Family That Plays Together, Stays Together

Dean Keppler has your Santa Anita Sunday card.

👉 Santa Anita Sunday 05/10/2026 — by Dean Keppler

5 PM ET — Field of 14

Draw is tomorrow at 5 PM ET. Field limited to 14 from 17-18 possibles. Post time Saturday May 16, 6:50 PM ET on NBC at Laurel Park.

Crude Velocity remains the clear favorite. Jose Ortiz rides Chip Honcho — the Derby-winning jockey on an Asmussen horse. Silent Tactic's move to second favorite is the market story of the week.

We'll have full draw analysis tomorrow evening.

👉 The Other Side: Motion and McCarthy on the Triple Crown Debate (yesterday)

👉 What Does the Data Say About the Triple Crown Conversation

👉 Is The Triple Crown Schedule Actually a Problem? — PTF and Randy Moss

👉 Preakness Top 5 — PTF and JK

👉 Browse all 31 Daily to Derby editions