Here’s my updated ranking of the Top 10 Kentucky Derby contenders from bottom to top Dave Letterman’s style: Went the Day Well: The son of Proud Citizen will try to duplicate what his connections did last year with Animal Kingdom – duplicate victory in the Spiral in the Kentucky Derby, That’s a tall order since [...]

I am getting in full-swing with looking over works, and listening to all of the connections as we head toward the first Saturday in May. Every year I have to dig up my list of handicapping nuggets that hopefully will allow me to gain any edge under the sun. This week will be important for [...]

With Bodemeister‘s spot in the Kentucky Derby starting gate secured, trainer Bob Baffert is looking to add Castaway to his Derby roster, should he put up a big race this Saturday at Keeneland.  Castaway hopes to follow in his sire Street Sense’s hoofsteps, but his road to the Kentucky Derby has been a bumpy one after the lackluster seventh place finish in the Sunland Derby his last [...]

Hansen and Street Sense have several things in common, including victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Churchill Downs. Street Sense did it five years ago while Hansen triumphed in 2011. Both horses boasted experience on synthetic surfaces. Street Sense finished third in Keeneland’s Breeders’ Futurity as a juvenile and was runner-up in the Blue [...]

Here’s my updated ranking of the Top 10 Kentucky Derby contenders from bottom to top Dave Letterman’s style: Went The Day Well: The same connections won the 2012 and ’11 Spiral en route to Louisville. Animal Kingdom captured last year’s Kentucky Derby. This son of Proud Citizen didn’t run particular impressive closing fractions in this [...]

Two runners from the Gotham Stakes return to Aqueduct with their eye on Saturday’s $1 million Wood Memorial. The Grade 1 appears fairly wide open since Hansen opted for the Blue Grass at Keeneland on April 14. Gotham runner-up My Adonis, beaten three lengths, enters the 1 1/8-mile contest with only one off-the-board finish, while [...]

Union Rags on Saturday attempts to become the sixth Fountain of Youth winner to take the Florida Derby since Fly So Free in 1991. The colt, with the only blemish on his record of four victories a neck loss to Hansen in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, breezed four furlongs in 49 seconds at the [...]

Here’s my updated ranking of the Top 10 Kentucky Derby contenders from bottom to top Dave Letterman’s style: My Adonis: One of the most experienced sophomores has hit the board seven of eight times. The son of Pleasantly Perfect was runner-up to Hansen in the Gotham at Aqueduct. He needs to step up because his [...]

Bob Baffert loves traveling west when it comes to stakes races, particular those of late at Oaklawn Park. The California-based trainer has saddled all but one winner of the Southwest and Rebel Stakes since 2010. Baffert’s Conveyance captured the Southwest two years ago. When the race was divided into two divisions this year for the [...]

I was laying low last weekend with a long overdue dentist visit to man-up, and get my wisdom teeth removed. For this pain in the jaw experience, I spent mucho time on the couch listening to how things are shaking out for the Derby. Here are some insights that jumped out, and they began to [...]