Derby Depth

The Kentucky Derby is Saturday and this is one Derby I am really looking forward to.  The depth in this year's race is extraordinary and there are a number of qualifed horses that could win.  There is no real front runner, no pun intended so with this kind of talent in one year, well, anything could happen.  Here are six to watch, very closely.

Union Rags

We've seen him mentioned already in this Blog.  Trained by the famed Michael Matz who also trained the infamous Barbaro, he has another fine one on his hands, but maybe not quite as talented as Barbero.  With 6 starts, he's won 4 with one place and one show.  Keep on eye on him. Matz knows how to train a horse and you can bet he learned a few things from his stint with Barbero.

Take Charge Indy
You simply can't discount a horse that Calvin Borel rides in the Derby.  This colt one the Florida Derby but that is his only win and with only four starts, he is lightly raced. But with Calvin, he clearly has an edge.   If there is traffic, well, Calvin will probably be in the lead. 

Bodemeister

While I have not decided who I think will win in the end, this one is likely in my top three.  He was unraced at two, and had a commanding 9 1/2 length victory in the Arkansas Derby in mid-April.  The only problem with him though is that he is a front runner and with the talent in the race it may be hard to win it from the front.  Trained by the legendary Bob Baffert who is recoverting from a recent heart attack while in Dubai. 

Dullahan

He won the Blue Grass Stakes on April 14th.  He is 0 for 3 on the dirt but two of those races were sprints.  He supposedly loves the Churchill Downs track and with lots of front speed, a late running colt has a good shot. He has raced 8 times won twice.  Trained by Dale Romans with Kent Desormeaux in the irons.

Gemologist

He is the son of Tiznow who won the Breeders' Cup Classic twice.  With 5 wins in 5 races, he clearly likes to win.  He won the Wood Memorial on April 7th.  He has only raced twice this year so he should be fresh.  Todd Pletcher is the trainer. Keep a close eye on this one too.  Unless he has a bad trip, he should be in the top three for sure. 

 

Creative Cause

Trainer Mike Harrington's colt is the only Derby contender to have beaten both Dullahan and Bodemeister.  He was runner up in the Santa Anita Derby and he likes to sit off the pace and make his final move.  Probably one of the fastest horses in the race. 

You know where I will be late Saturday afternoon.  This is going to be a horse race!!!!!