Busy morning here got a chance to catch up with Vernon bush. Very powerful candid interview in the first segment of the program today. Bobby and Dave Bobby Newman Dave Friedman previewed the two greatest stakes taking place at Laurel later this afternoon, the general George and the Barbara fitchy, and now we dive headlong into the second hour of the show, going to kick it off with Kevin kirsty and momentarily. He will talk about the three year old division. He will also talk about today's risen star in about who's your Philly going in the Rachel Alexandra. Unsung heroes comes your way at 9 20. I'm going to welcome Ricky duke ran who is a longtime groom at woodbine. He's going to tell his pretty remarkable story about going to woodbine for the first time as a young man, looking for some direction in his life, had never been to a horse track before. And he winds up working in the barns, loving the sport of thoroughbred racing, and that's all he's done. He has always, he's done this for the rest of his life. And it's a great story. He is this week's unsung hero at 9 20. 9 40 Frank Hoff, the assistant general manager at Sam Houston going to be with me to talk about Texas preview day. And to talk about the situation now with simulcasting, returning to the lone star state, which is welcome news to all the horsemen there. 10 o'clock eastern, it's the twin spires triple play with Joe Christopher, Kurt Becker takes you on a weekly stroll through racing history at ten 20 and at ten 30, del Roman's Tim wilkin will both be here for this week's edition of I ask they answer. Huge day at the fairgrounds today, several greatest stakes, including the Rachel Alexandra for the three year old Phillies and the risen star for the three year old boys. The first 50 points race in the series leading up to The Kentucky Derby and Kevin Kirsten is the publicity manager for Churchill downs. He is at the fairgrounds this morning and he's with me now here on HR N Kevin good morning. Good morning, Mike. Happy championship series kick-off. On the road of the Derby yolks. Yeah, Louisiana Derby preview day, right? Yeah, Louisiana Derby preview day, great card here at fairgrounds, 13 rates overall, gets kicked off at 1 o'clock Eastern Time. It's a fun day of racing here in the big easy a lot going on to in New Orleans being Mardi Gras. So it's a lot going on in the city, but the action is here at fairgrounds today. Okay, so have you spent more time at the track or more time on bourbon street? You know, I didn't hit bourbon street. We did end up on the town last night and but you know I'm here and Joe Chris effect's office right now up in the press box all is well. Yeah, all is well. It's a wonderful day of racing. Let's start with the weather conditions. What's it like at the fairgrounds today? You know, it's pretty chilly out there. The temperatures wind chills are about 40° and it's going to go up to about maybe the low 50s today. Sunny skies on a cloud in the sky. So fast and firm conditions likely today. So it should be a great day for racing and just a little bit chilly. We're in the jacket, but all is well. Plenty of star power to the risen star, I think most people would agree. This is the deepest and probably the strongest Derby prep we've seen today. And then you have hoosier Philly, the undefeated superstar from the Tom Amos barn in the Rachel Alexandra steaks. And I'm going to ask you this question, Kevin, because this was the poll question this morning, and I'll be honest, I'm a little shocked by the results, is hoosier Philly the best three year old of any gender racing today. Absolutely or no way. What do you think? Wow, that's a great question for the poll. I think out of any gender today, you know, I think she is. I think the reason star field is very competitive. I don't know if the Derby winner is in the risen star. I think there's a lot of very nice three year olds that are in there, but overall, today, racing, I think that she's the best one. Interesting. I thought that this voting would be a bit closer than when it is. 74% of HR and nation responding and saying, no way. She is absolutely not the best three year old of any gender racing today. And with everything that she brings to the table, I thought that there were more there would be more people like yourself in her corner. Yeah, it's interesting. You know, it was surprising to me last week when we closed the fourth pool, The Kentucky Derby future wager of how much action she took. We knew that she would take action. And the committee, we decided that let's make her an individual interest instead of using the all three year old Philly category, which we did for the first three pools. And she closed an 11 to one odd. And so she took a ton of action and I think rightfully so, but the buzz is there with her. I just think she's incredibly talented and I can't wait to see what she brings to the table this afternoon. Okay, considering the fact that who's your Philly was an option for betters in that Derby pool last weekend. Does that indicate that they're thinking first Saturday in May and a shot against the boys as opposed to the first Friday in May? You know, it's interesting. You know, when I first talked to Tom Amos about this, it was when he was unsettling her after she won the goldenrod. He said, we need to make her an interest in the next Derby future address. It absolutely. We'll do it. And so he had it in his mind back then. And talking through some of his interviews, this winter, he's playing it pretty cool, which is likely because he doesn't want to think too far ahead, but we made her an individual nominee because she was nominated in the early Louisiana Derby nominations. And so they nominated for the Louisiana Derby fairly early in the wintertime. And so she was made eligible to run in the Louisiana Derby and so that's why we made her an individual interest just knowing that if she would run well today, she's eligible for that race. Yeah, all other three year olds closed as the two to one favorite, then you had the juvenile champion forte, who were still awaiting his three year old debut in the fountain of youth.