When the world says, “Give up,”
Hope whispers, “Try it one more time.”
~Author Unknown
In the spirit of the season, below are 40 horses that inspire Derby Dreams! With the new Derby points system, the “Road to Kentucky” will not start getting serious until March. But let’s enjoy the “Derby Trail”.
Avie’s Quality: Woodbine Stakes winner has been impressive in four starts. Big improvement in last two races. Has the speed to tactical ability to lay close to the pace, has the punch to put horses away.
Bold Dance: Impressive turf winner at Gulfstream park, Fast finish into a moderate pace. Career debut lost to impressive winner Little Distorted. Improving dramatically in 2nd lifetime start is a powerful indicator. Two race juvenile foundation could prove beneficial in March.
Capo Bastone: Late running sprinter? or Distance horse in training? Horse Racing fans are divided with most taking the late running sprinter side. Loomed boldly in Breeders Cup Juvenile. Impressive maiden win. Has switched trainers and will point to Derby via Gulfstream Park.
Code West: Distance pedigree. Improving colt who has room for growth. Faced classy horses in all four of his races. Like the way he keeps on running in every race. Big picture just needs to stay healthy and for the races to get longer.
Delhomme: Aggressive juvenile campaign rant second to a nice colt in debut. Broke maiden in 2nd career start. Set pace in Remsen in a race devoid of pace, battled gamely. Getting a break, has further room for growth
Dewey Square: Maiden breaker was huge. Precocious “win early” pedigree with Bernadini as sire and Forestry as Broodmare Sire. Speed, Class, 2 Year Old Form always good things to have on your side.
Dynamic Sky: Personal favorite runs every race. Pedigree is from a family of runners and mares who produce runners and winners. Career debut came in a stakes race. Broke maiden in Stakes race. Training in Florida.
Favor Factor: Still a maiden. Finished strongly in career debut. Harlan’s Holiday as sire out of a Pulpit mare. Trained by Chad Brown. Off the work tab Needs to start training in January.
Flashback: Exploding debut winner at Hollywood Park. Bet down and justified the hype with a powerful turn of foot. Full brother to Zazu who ran third in the Kentucky Oaks. Deep work tab and maiden win completed.
General Election: Winstar Farm has a derby horse every year. This could be the 2013 model. Broke maiden at Churchill Downs. Strong Speed Figure in Debut while running wide on a slow track. Working at the Fair Grounds.
Gulfport: Five starts for juvenile campaign. Closed year with pair of Churchill Downs triumphs. sired by Unbridled’s Song which is always a concern for career length.
Goldencents: Early developing type showed speed and class as a Juvenile. Romped at Delmar. Shipped east and ran second to a seasoned Shanghai Bobby in the Champagne. Dominated the Delta Jackpot race from a wide post. Has speed and class.
Honorable Dillon: Son of Tapit defeated Delhomme in Maiden Special Weight races at Saratoga. Training at Gulfstream Park. Muscled Gray seems to have versatile running style.
Little Distorted: Private purchase after electrifying debut win at Saratoga. Back on the workout log earlier this week. Distorted Humor out of A.P. Indy nick is one of the most powerful nicks in horse racing. Debuted with a Brisnet speed figure of 102. Just needs to hold form and stretch out in distance.
Long River: Pedigree fans like this elegant colt. By A.P. Indy out of Breeder’s Cup Distaff winner Round Pond. Broken maiden in third career start at Aqueduct. Should run all day long. Strong speed figures and owned by Darley stable.
Mentor Cane: Ran second to Flashback in career debut. Showed speed and held second. look for continued improvement from this son of Mizzen Mast. Long work tab indicates fitness.
Normandy Invasion: “Norman” invaded most Derby lists with a long sustained run in the Remsen Stakes. Son of Tapit trailed the field early and led briefly before being bobbed late by Overanalyze. Flash Maiden “big” win drawing away by nine lengths at Aqueduct. Has faced fields of 9, 10 and 10 horses in his three starts.
Overanalyze: Son of Dixie Union danced all the dances with wins in the futurity and the Remsen as a juvenile. Five races marks him as race ready for 2013 will point to Gotham on the comeback and Wood as the tightener.
Ore Pass: “Big” win at Laurel by 10 lengths. Brisnet speed rating of 100. Son of War Pass out of Stephen Got Even mare. One to watch for at Tampa Bay or possibly the Gotham in 2013.
Oxbow: The Bluegrass Boys have a runner. Broke maiden impressively at Churchill Downs with long and powerful strides. Raced four wide for half time and held on gamely on Hollywood synthetic horse. Will point to Oaklawn Park for the “coach” Wayne Lukas.
Parnelli: Pedigree Play. Still a maiden. One career race at five furlongs. Been working at Gulfstream. Bernadini as sire out of Seeking the Golf mare. Needs to improve dramatically in 2nd career start.
Procurement: Five lifetime races four of them on the Turf. Has the pedigree for Dirt with two-time Santa Anita Handicap winner Milwaukee Brew as sire out of an Unbridled Mare. The lone dirt race was at Santa Anita when speed was king, he had no chance on a race track that was fast and built for front-runners. Would like to see pointed for dirt this winter. May need to travel the Gulfstream or Tampa Bay route to the Derby. Glen Hill Farm home-bred has talent.
Shakin it Up: Taking a stab at late running Midnight Lute colt. Quality in pedigree Silverbulletday is 2nd mare. Small fields in all three races as Juvenile. Seemed to be going well late in Hollywood Prevue will small field.
Shanghai Bobby: The Juvenile Champion. Undefeated, but tested three times. Put away Goldencents, He’s Had Enough and Fortify in final street starts of year. Will use two prep campaign as Sophomore. Has the speed and class, running style should suit Gulfstream Park perfectly.
Stay in Dixie: A flash from the Sooner State 14 length maiden winner on dirt after two so-so efforts on Arlington synthetic surface. Long striding son of Dixie Union with a classic pedigree on the female side. Don Von Hemel trains.
Super Ninety Nine: Fast debut win. Scratched on Breeder’s Cup Sprint morning. Ran second in Hollywood Prevue. Should prefer traditional dirt surface. In training and pointing for the major west coast races.
Tesseron: Another son of Tapit! Finished 4th in dirt debut at Churchill downs to Uncaptured. Aggressively placed by Josie Carroll. Training in Florida.
Titletown Five: The “coach” Wayne Lukas has this speedy son of Pulpit freaked in his last race at Churchill Downs winning by 9 lengths on a racetrack that was slow and demanding. Strong foundation. Has some minor issues so getting time off. Should be cranked up fast next spring and look for a big effort off the bench.
Track Rocker: Big tall black colt commands your attention in the post parade. Forced to lead and faded in Kentucky Jockey Club. Big win at Delaware. Mixed signals. Trained by Nick Zito.
Treasury Bill: Solid debut in well-regarded maiden race. Lemon Drop Kid colt should improve off that race. Built like a router with long slow workouts leading up to debut.
Tulira Castle: Big win at Gulfsteam Park in Dirt Debut. Three races on Synthetic Arlington surface over the summer. Versatile running style and still has to go two turns.
Up With the Birds: Synthetic monster ran huge in Coronation Futurity. Will probably stay up north and point to Queens Plate, but maybe a Turfway Park, Bluegrass Stakes campaign to test the waters?
Uncaptured: Big resume. Seven starts six wins, five stakes wins. May not have much room for improvement. Son of Lion Heart out of Arch mare. Gutty, has transitional speed, lots of earnings and wins with the new system doesn’t mean much, will have to earn “points” to get in the starting gate.
Value Trap: Ran six furlongs at Calder in 1:11 and change in Debut. That is race horse time! Value Plus colt is trained by David Fawkes who has done great work with solid middle distance horses and lightly regarded horses in the past. Sprinters in family second race will provide more clues.
Violence: Undefeated horse tracked a perfect pace and won the Cash Call Futurity impressively. Nashua Stakes showed his speed and turn of foot. Debut win was a grind against Titletown Five. Scopey long striding horse has shown patience, turn of foot and raw speed in all three starts. Has long stride. Long Neck, built like a router. Hostile, Agile and mobile one to watch in 2013.
War Academy: Distance pedigree by Giant’s Causeway out of A. P. Indy Mare. Broke maiden at Hollywood Park in first career start. Trained by Bob Baffert. In hand and was ridden confidently the entire race. Strong Gallop out against other well-bred horses.
Winning Cause: Two turf races and then won at Keeneland fall meet. Distance pedigree and has been pointed for long distance races in all three career starts. Solid foundation. Yearlong purchased for 200K should improve at three.