Kentucky Derby Trail: We've Got Ourselves a Derby

[two gun sid]

From The Bloodhorse:
Finally, after months of picking, probing, and doubting, we've uncovered the mother lode. And that's with the Toyota Blue Grass (gr. I) and Arkansas Derby (gr. II) still to be run. No matter what happens in those races, we already have the nucleus for what promises to be one of the most competitive Derbys in years.

Then again, it could all be an illusion. Maybe the Derby scriptwriters have had this one written up for a long time, and we're just now seeing the previews. Not having had the benefit of being in California and seeing Brother Derek in the flesh on a regular basis, one could only judge the colt by watching his races on TV and studying his past performances.

But on Saturday, ABC showed the son of Benchmark working, walking, saddling, parading in the paddock, and going to the gate. It was during those moments that it became crystal clear that we're not dealing with any ordinary horse. If the term "look of eagles" still was used today, that would be an apt description, as evidenced by the class he radiates, and the way he struts along with a slight arch in his neck as if in a zone. And, yes, he has that look in his eye.

With that said, let's get back to reality. Sure, Brother Derek's effortless 3 1/4-length victory in the Santa Anita Derby (gr. I) was impressive, but he didn't do anything he wasn't expected to do. If he hadn't won like that, cruising along on an uncontested pace, the detractors would have been out in full force. In fact, if there is a question mark surrounding him it's that he's had everything his own way every race and has not faced any adversity. And he did sweat up a bit going to the gate.

http://tcm.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=32974


Jockey Alex Solis crosses the finish line
aboard Brother Derek after an easy
victory in Saturday's Santa Anita
Derby

[Justpat]

1. Barbaro and Brother Derek seem to have similiar styles

of running. I am going to have to check the past performances of both to see if they can sit off the pace.
There is always a lot of early pace in the derby.

Has Brother Derek ever had to fight off someone hanging at his throat?

[two gun sid]

2. Kentucky Derby Trail: Madcap Minister Runs Amok

From The Bloodhorse:
Suddenly, all the fast horses in this year's Run for the Roses don't seem that fast anymore. With the sudden emergence on the Derby scene of the impetuous hothead Sinister Minister, the riders of the leading contenders will have to do something they're not use to -- stare at a horse's rear end.

The big question is, how close do they get to it, or better still, how close can they get to it? And there are even more questions. Do they go after Sinister Minister or wait for him to come back this time? After a 12 3/4-length victory and a 116 Beyer Speed Figure in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I), can he come even remotely close to reproducing that effort, or will he 'bounce' to the moon coming back in three weeks? Was he merely a run-off who ran slower horses off their feet over a surface that had been notoriously speed-biased on most days or is he some freaky Spend a Buck-type horse who is just getting good? How will speed horses and stalkers like Brother Derek, Lawyer Ron, Sweetnorthernsaint, Barbaro, and Sharp Humor adjust to having a horse several lengths in front of them?

Sinister Minister ran in the Blue Grass as is if someone had given him a hotfoot, and there is no way to know if this is the same horse we're going to see May 6 in the Kentucky Derby (gr. I) presented by Yum! Brands. The bottom line is that Sinister Minister has thrown a monkey wrench into an already baffling race. But this is the Derby, where anything can happen, and who knows how much of a factor Sinister Minister will be.

The Blue Grass requires little or no analysis. Visually and statistically, it was a freak show that made proven stakes horses like First Samurai and Bluegrass Cat, and the highly regarded Strong Contender, look mediocre. But none of those horses are mediocre, so the race must be considered an aberration. Not only did Sinister Minister continue to pour it on after setting blistering fractions, he never changed leads in the stretch and was continuously being smacked left-handed by Garrett Gomez to keep him from ducking into the rail again. Although it appears he'd be better off waiting the five weeks and pointing for the Preakness (gr. I), we all know that is not going to happen. So, we just have to accept his turbulent presence in the Derby and try to figure out what impact he will have on the race.

http://tcm.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=33076

[aaronbees]

3. Haskin's thoughts on Lawyer Ron...

make me rethink the Ark Derby run. A horse like that can find many ways to win. Then again, I like to find reasons to knock off my faves. I agree that Steppenwolfer will be dangerous, as will Sweetnorthernsaint. What a great field this is shaping up to be ...

[Justpat]

4. In today's DRF, the handicappers were all over Sinister Minister.

They think he will be tough to beat off the Blue Grass performance.

I don't know if can run back to a 116 Beyer off three weeks rest.

[two gun sid]

6. I don't think he'll run back close to a 116...

I'm really liking a stretch runner like Jazil to win the Derby.

[two gun sid]

5. Top earner Discreet Cat won't run in Derby

From The Louisville Courier-Journal:
Owners and trainers whose horses are hovering around the bubble to get into what shapes up as an overflow Kentucky Derby field have one less horse to worry about.

Godolphin racing manager Simon Crisford said Tuesday in an email response to a Courier-Journal inquiry that unbeaten UAE Derby winner Discreet Cat will not run in the Kentucky Derby.

Having earned $1.2 million in taking the $2 million UAE Derby in Dubai, Discreet Cat would have had preference over everybody in making the field. That’s because horses are allowed in according to their earnings in graded stakes races – designated as the best in the world – if more than the capacity 20 horses enter the Kentucky Derby.

An unofficial Courier-Journal count of Derby prospects puts the total at 21 horses considered definite or probable and at least eight more considered possible to varying degrees.

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060418/SPORTS08/60418015/1037

<on edit> First Sam is out also.

[aaronbees]

7. Bummer about Discreet Cat

Though it's probably a wise decision -- would love to see him wheel back for the late summer classics. Also a good call on First Samurai; he looks like a miler to me ... Met Mile perhaps?

[two gun sid]

10. I would have liked to seen Discreet Cat run...

in the Derby. Maybe we will see him soon. Do you know if he is not going to compete in all the TC races or just the Derby?

[Justpat]

8. John Velasquez to miss Derby.

http://www.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=33139


He has a broken shoulder and chest injuries. The horse he rode in the grass stake yesterday won by broke down
past the wire and rolled over him.

[two gun sid]

9. Too bad about Velasquez...

he is becoming my favorite jock. I hope he has a speedy recovery.

[two gun sid]

11. With a City euthanized

From DRF:
With a City, who was being pointed to the Kentucky Derby on the strength of his stunning upset last month in the Lane's End Stakes, was euthanized early Sunday after being stricken several days beforehand with a mysterious illness.

Trainer Mike Maker told Churchill Downs officials Sunday that With a City became ill Thursday at the Trackside training center "and quickly deteriorated." Maker said it is possible the illness may never be identified

Veterinarians attending to the colt, who was owned by the Equirace.com syndicate of Ron Peltz, "treated him for everything and ran tests on everything," said Maker, a longtime former D. Wayne Lukas assistant. "They just don't know at this time. Hopefully, a necropsy will tell us more, but their feeling right now is that they're not so sure that they're going to be able to tell."

With a City, by City Zip, had finished last in his latest race, the April 15 Arkansas Derby, but Peltz and Maker were undeterred and had planned to run the colt in the May 6 Derby.

http://www.drf.com/news/article/73857.html

http://tcm.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=33169


With a City wins the Lane's End March
25 with Brice Blanc aboard.

[aaronbees]

12. The whole thing strikes me as exceedingly strange...

given all that's happened to With a City in the last month.

[two gun sid]

15. Hey. that's right. He did win at some very high odds...

then came back to finish last in the AK Derby. I sure hope it is just a coincidence.

[Justpat]

16. This horse won at Turfway,

then later shipped to Oaklawn for another try in a Graded stake in a warmer part of the country.
If anything, the stress of two big races, two climates in a short period of time stressed his
immune system to the max and he came down with a virus or some sort that knocked him out.

These young horses that ship all over the country are subjected to a lot of stress. Sometimes
just the ship can make a latent virus hit them hard.

And it is always more stressful shipping from a cool location to a warm one. Horses rarely get
sick shipping from south to north - but often get sick shipping from cool weather into the heat.

Just my thoughts on the matter. I suspect that this horse had his immune system stressed and
succumbed to some virus.

[two gun sid]

18. Point taken. I certainly did not mean to imply

that any hanky-panky went on with this horse. We really don't know what happened. We may never know even after the necropsy.

[Justpat]

21. I don't think the necropsy will tell much.

We had a horse die a mysterious death at our clinic once. It tied up, then started having seizures.
It died a horrible death the next day. I had to take head in my truck to the big lab in another
town and have it thoroughly examined for all sorts of virus' and stuff. They never found out
what happened to that horse. They are big, strong aminals with fragile immune systems.

[aaronbees]

19. It was fairly warm on Ark Derby day ...

What you say makes some good sense here. I also don't mean to argue anything untoward happened with the colt -- just to remark that there are some unusual circumstances surrounding him, including shares of the colt being sold for $50,000 apiece after his Lane's End win. Honestly, I didn't catch how he looked at Oaklawn as I was focused on Lawyer Ron's run.

I remember when Swale died just a week winning the Belmont -- hearbreaking for me.

[two gun sid]

13. Punctured leg for Showing Up

From DRF:
Showing Up came out of his victory in Saturday's Lexington Stakes with a puncture wound in his right foreleg, trainer Barclay Tagg said Monday morning. However, Tagg said if he can get the injury healed in time, Showing Up would run in the Kentucky Derby on May 6.

"Those things are dangerous; it doesn't look like much, it's a tiny little hole, but you can put the head of a squirt tube down there and put antibiotics in there and flush it out the best you can," Tagg said Monday at Belmont Park where Showing Up had returned following a 13 1/2-hour van ride. "I've had them go both ways. I've had them heal up overnight, and I've had them get really bad and you damn near lose the horse. It's certainly a concern."

http://www.drf.com/news/article/73870.html

[two gun sid]

14. Kentucky Derby Notes--Monday, April 24

From The Bloodhorse:
BARBARO - Lael Stables' Barbaro, the unbeaten winner of the Florida Derby (gr. I), was reported to be "doing great" by trainer Michael Matz the morning after a five-furlong breeze in 1:01.40 at Keeneland.

BOB AND JOHN/POINT DETERMINED/SINISTER MINISTER - Two of trainer Bob Baffert's Kentucky Derby hopefuls - Wood Memorial (gr. I) winner Bob and John and Santa Anita Derby (gr. I) runner-up Point Determined - put in seven-furlong works Monday morning at Santa Anita.

BROTHER DEREK - Cecil Peacock's Brother Derek turned in his final California work for Derby 132 by working seven furlongs in 1:28.40 Monday morning over a "fast" track at Santa Anita under Derby rider Alex Solis.

LAWYER RON - The Estate of James Hines Jr.'s Lawyer Ron galloped two miles just before the renovation break under exercise rider Betsy Couch.

[two gun sid]

17. Trainers of top Derby runners think distance not a problem

From Thoroughbred Times:
The trainers of top Kentucky Derby (G1) contenders Brother Derek, Barbaro, Lawyer Ron, and Sweetnorthernsaint all think their horses will have no problem handling the classic distance of 1 1/4 miles when they attempt it for the first time on May 6 at Churchill Downs.

Speaking on a National Thoroughbred Racing Association teleconference on Tuesday, trainer Dan Hendricks said he believes likely Derby favorite Brother Derek can perform well at the Derby distance, although Hendricks admits the size of the field and probable pace could make things difficult for Cecil Peacock's Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner.

"Getting the mile and a quarter in a ten-to-12-horse field, I'd love to be up against any of these horses and I'd be really comfortable," Hendricks said. " is a 20-horse field with a lot of pressure up front. That pace could take away some of my tactical strategy."

Brother Derek has won his last four races in a row—all graded stakes—and is a perfect five-for-five around two turns. Hendricks said one of the biggest challenges has been to keep Brother Derek near the top of his game for the last five months while readying him for the Triple Crown.

http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/todaysnews/newsview.asp?recno=63397&subsec=2

[aaronbees]

20. Steve Haskin's Derby Report: Romans Issues Warning

Steve Haskin's Derby Report: Romans Issues Warning
by Steve Haskin
Date Posted: 4/25/2006 3:16:38 PM
Last Updated: 4/25/2006 5:36:52 PM

Sinister Minister or no Sinister Minister, Sharp Humor is the one they'll have to catch on May 6, says the colt's trainer Dale Romans. And any horse who dares look Romans' gladiator in the eye early in the Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) will pay the price.
Romans is stabled in Barn 4 at Churchill Downs, a far distance from the other Derby starters, and in the comfort of his quiet confines, he remains more confident in his colt than ever.

And why not? Sharp Humor, a New York-bred son of Distorted Humor, made an auspicious transition from state-bred races when he turned back the heavily favored Noonmark in the seven-furlong Swale Stakes (gr. II) in his 3-year-old debut. That courageous effort at odds of 13-1 gained him some respect in the $1-million Florida Derby (gr. I), and despite making his first start around two turns and only his second start of the year, he once again displayed his tenacity by battling the unbeaten Barbaro the entire length of the stretch, falling a half-length short.

Romans now feels the colt has the seasoning and experience not only to make life miserable for any of the favorites who want to take him on, but to win the whole darn thing.

** snip **

source: http://tcm.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=33211

I definitely prefer Sharp Humor to Sinister Minister; he's got some heart and really tested Barbaro.

[two gun sid]

22. KENTUCKY DERBY CLOCKER REPORT

From DRF:
A key five furlong work by Seaside Retreat, another vigorous gallop from Sharp Humor and the first local appearance by the intriguing Sweetnorthernsaint were the highlights during training hours at Churchill Downs on Thursday morning. The weatherman offered some relief to shivering railbirds following another brisk start with temperatures rising into the mid-50's by the time the horses came back on the track at 8:30 a.m. following the daily renovation break.

http://www.drf.com/tc/kentuckyderby/2006/clocker/clocker.html


Sweetnorthernsaint gets his first
gallop over the Churchill Downs
track on Thursday

[two gun sid]

23. Crowning Achievements

From NTRA.com:
Only 11 horses in the history of Thoroughbred racing have won the elusive Triple Crown. In recent years, Silver Charm, Real Quiet, Charismatic, War Emblem, Funny Cide and Smarty Jones were all denied their place in history in the final leg -- the Belmont Stakes.

I can tell you honestly that I rooted against all but two of them -- War Emblem, who had local Illinois ties, and Smarty Jones, a true underdog turned superhero and probably the most deserving of those who have recently toyed with immortality.

As we embark on yet another Triple Crown voyage, let's meet those whose names will forever be etched in Thoroughbred racing history. They all have a story to tell, so let's listen in.

http://www.ntra.com/content.aspx?type=feature&id=17203

I thought this would be a nice refresher in TC history. I have been alive for 3 TC winners. Of those 3 I would have to say that Affirmed's TC was the greatest. All 3 races were edge of your seat exciting. Because most of the news I heard leading up to the '78 TC was easterncentric I was an Alydar fan. Affirmed proved to me that he had the most class and heart of any horse of his year. Every so often I happen to run across the audio of the strech call of the '78 Belmont and I'm not ashamed to admit my eyes well up with tears. It was an awesome dislay of will to win and we'll probably never see anything like it again.
The great horses of the '70's made me think I would see many other TC's. Next year will be the 30th anniversary of Slew's TC. I can't believe it was 30 years ago.

What was yor favorite Triple Crown Moment? Did anyone see any of the earlier TC winners? Count Fleet? The Club-footed Comet, Assault? Citation?

[PDittie]

24. OK sid and OB

I request your learned opiinion of these opinions (from CBS Sportsline; JP = Jay Privman, MW is Mike Watchmaker):

BROTHER DEREK 7-2 Best Beyer: 108 Cecil Peacock, D.Hendricks, Alex Solis

JP: Considering how well he usually works, Monday's drill was a cut below.
MW: Getting the feeling that people are jumping off his bandwagon.

LAWYER RON 5-1 106 Est. of James Hines, Jr., R. Holthus, J. McKee

JP: Continues to win races, but slow final time of Arkansas Derby is a bit of a concern.
WM: Concern would be stronger for me if he hadn't already proven he can run fast.

BARBARO 6-1 103 Lael Stables, M. Matz, E. Prado

JP: Horses race less frequently these days, so five week break doesn't bother me.
MW: By Derby day, he will have raced only once in 13 weeks; that bothers me.

SWEETNORTHERNSAINT 10-1 109 J. Balsamo and T. Theos, M. Trombetta, K. Desormeaux

JP: For one who's never been down this road, Trombetta has made the right moves.
WM: He's fast, and he's learned to sit off the lead in his last two races. Dangerous.

BOB AND JOHN 12-1 102 Stonerside Stable LLC, B. Baffert, G. Gomez

JP: Much better when he has a target, and he'll have plenty of targets in the Derby.
MW: It's funny, everyone thinks he's a deep closer, but he's never won from way back.

A. P. WARRIOR 15-1 101 Stan Fulton, J. Sherreffs, C. Nakatani

JP: Fast becoming my wise-guy horse; think he'll take a big step forward off last race.
WM: Jay is not alone, others are lining up behind him as well. A potential underlay.

POINT DETERMINED 15-1 103 Beverly and Est. of Bob Lewis, B. Baffert, R. Bejarano

JP: Will be trying to make amends for his Daddy's puzzling flop five years ago.
MW: Unlike his sire, he has more than just two preps coming into this year's race.

SINISTER MINISTER 15-1 116 Lanni, Moody and Schiappa, B. Baffert, V. Espinoza

JP: Shades of War Emblem: private purchase, very fast, has highest Beyer fig.
WM: But will he enjoy the soft fractions like War Emblem did when he won in 2002.

STEPPENWOLFER 20-1 94 Robert and Lawana Low, D. Petiz, R. Albarado

JP: Got plenty of pace to set up his late run, but was still second-best to Lawyer Ron.
MW: With his running style, a lot of people will be on him to get a piece at Churchill.

BLUEGRASS CAT 30-1 99 WinStar Farm LLC, T. Pletcher, J. Velazquez

JP: Has not made any progress from last year; very disapointing in his final prep.
WM: Considering he went backwards from Tampa to Keeneland, I agree with Jay.

JAZIL 30-1 97 Shadwell Stable, K. McLaughlin, F. Jara

JP: Expected fast pace will help his chances, but strikes me as kind of a plodder.
MW: They walked home in the Wood. Then again, they might walk home in this, too.

SUNRIVER 30-1 97 Aaron and Marie Jones, T. Pletcher, jockey undecided

JP: Needs a couple defections on the earnings list to get in; Pletcher wants to run.
WM: Also has a five week layoff to deal with; but he'll be five times the price of Barbaro.

KEYED ENTRY 40-1 110 Starlight Stable, T. Pletcher, P. Valenzuela

JP: Don't see how this race can set up for a speed horse with distance questions.
MW: Might try to rate like he did in the Gotham; the distance is a big issue, however.

PRIVATE VOW 40-1 96 Mike McCarty, S. Asmussen, S. Bridgmohan

JP: Improved in second start of the year, but still seems a cut below the very best.
WM: Even with improvement, I don't see him ever beating Lawyer Ron in a fair race.

SACRED LIGHT 40-1 99 Amerman Racing Stable, D. Hofmans, A. Gryder

JP: Stumbled badly at start of SA Derby; may not have enough earnings to get in.
MW: Throw out his last race. If he is able to start, he has some appeal as a closer.

SHARP HUMOR 40-1 102 Purdedel Stable, D. Romans, M. Guidry

JP: When discussing pace of Derby, he should be near the top of the list. Very quick.
WM: So is Sinister Minister, and neither colt is good for the prospects of the other.

SHOWING UP 40-1 100 Lael Stablee, B. Tagg, C. Velasquez

JP: Showed quality to win Lexington in stakes debut, but Derby is much tougher.
MW: Agreed. This colt has a bright future, but Derby may be too much, too soon.

CAUSE TO BELIEVE 50-1 98 Peter Redekop, J. Hollendorfer, R. Baze

JP: Pace in Ill. Derby did not suit his style; wants to sit back and make one run.
WM: Well, the pace in this should be to his liking; just doubt he's good enough.

DEPUTY GLITTERS 60-1 102

JP: Poor effort in Wood, suspect form in Tampa puts him way down on my list.
MW: It is difficult to be enthusiastic about his chances off a final prep like that.

STORM TREASURE 60-1 95

JP: Was only one to make up any ground in Blue Grass, but no match for winner.
WM: Only Sinister Minister ran a jump in Blue Grass; somone had to be second.

FLASHY BULL 80-1 94

JP: Like Bluegrass Cat, he just does not seem to have made progress from 2 to 3.
MW: No one would have thought it after they finished 1-2 in the Remsen.

[Justpat]

25. I am the worst handicapper that ever lived.

BUt some of these colts you can throw out because they are going the wrong way right now.
You want to see one coming into his own strength and physical condition the right way.

I don't like Bluegrass Cat. His form is bad right now. Storm Treasure was second but in another
zip code in the Bluegrass. I threw him out too.

Sharp Humor - I like this horse a lot but according to the clockers report of his last work at
Churchill, he was tiring at the end of his work. You want to see a horse breeze well within
himself in good time and bounce out of it afterward. I don't know what to think of it.
Maybe he didn't like the track that day.

Barbaro - If it rains he will like the track as he has already won a stake in the slop.
He is so talented. If he can avoid getting knocked around at the break, I'm putting him in
my top picks.

Brother Derek - also wildly talented. He became unbeatable once he started going around two
turns. No one liked his work at Churchill in the mud the other day. He has never raced on an
off track, I believe.

Sinister Minister - He won by a pole in the Bluegrass but I suspect he will get his head handed
to him at about the 5/8 pole in the Derby.

I haven't really scoped out Baffert's horses yet. Bob has been to the Derby enough times it would
not concern him if his horse didn't win its last prep. He would want something left in the tank and
for the horse to be moving in the right direction.

I kind of like the way Jazil was going at the end of the Wood.

[aaronbees]

29. Hey, OB

Any thoughts on pedigree with this field?

Of the Baffert crew, I like Point Determined best ... but have heard some wildly different reports on how he's handled Churchill so far. If he doesn't get a piece here, I'd look for him in the Belmont.

I'm tossing: Seaside Retreat, Flashy Bull, Bluegras Cat, Deputy Glitters, Storm Treasure.

[Justpat]

30. I think Barbaro's pedigree is incredible.

I used to do pedigree research for someone a long time ago and got so I could figure a horse's dosage in my head
just from looking at the pedigree. This guy has an impeccable pedigree as far as I'm concerned.

Dosage: 10-4-21-2-1 Yikes!
Dosage Index: 1.81
Center of Distribution: 0.53



Brother Derek:
Dosage: 10-3-16-1-0
Dosage Index: 2.33
Center of Distribution: 0.73

Point Determined:
Dosage: 3-7-10-0-0
Dosage Index: 3.00
Center of Distribution: 0.55

Jazil:
Dosage: 11-3-14-0-0
Dosage Index: 3.00
Center of Distribution: 0.89


So far I am liking Barbaro because he has done nothing wrong, Point Determined because I like the way he is coming into this,
and A.P. Warrior. If A.P. Warrior is improving he might be right there at the end. I like the Seattle Slew/Mr. P cross through
Quiet American.

[two gun sid]

26. I'm on the Jazil Wagon...

OB mentioned the way he galloped out in the Wood so I watched the replay. He looked pretty strong to me. I have to believe that The Derby is going to have an extremely fast early pace. So fast that I believe it will all fall apart and the plodders and stretch runners have a very good shot at winning this race. Jazil looks the best to me. He has the outside post and should be able to avoid trouble.

The Derby is very hard to handicap because of the large field. What I'll probably do is put on some shorts, my Spectacular Bid hat and a pair of shades and head down to my local track. I'll place a $2 win bet on my horse, Lawyer Ron, and buy a large soda and watch the races. I'll scream like hell during the stretch run and if my horse doesn't win, I'll make excuses for him. If we're lucky, we'll witness history.

So go out to the track, have a good time, support your horse and show the horse people that you appreciate what they do.

Good Luck to all.

[two gun sid]

27. I'm a dumbass. Jazil has PP# 1.

I thought he had #20. Doesn't matter really. I don't think he'll get trapped on the rail.

[aaronbees]

28. On the pace

I think it could fall apart, but I'd hate to see that the second year in a row. Of those four standout favorites (BD, LR, SNS and Barb), I'm thinking at least one or two will figure out how to sit far enough off the pace and make a well-timed run. What I want to see is that kind of brilliance.

I'm actually liking Brother Derek's post position ... may help him sit back a few more lengths and bide his time. Of course, if he loses I reserve the right to complain about it later ;)

Sounds like an excellent way to enjoy the Derby, Sid!

[CottonBear]

31. The morning line on Friday May 4th, 2006:

http://www.kentuckyderby.com/2006/derby_coverage/derby_entrants/

Derby EntrantsKentucky Derby 132 Entrants
Program # Horse Morning Line Trainer Jockey:

1 Jazil 30-1 Kiaran McLaughlin Fernando Jara
2 Steppenwolfer 30-1 Daniel Peitz Robby Albarado
3 Keyed Entry 30-1 Todd Pletcher Patrick Valenzuela
4 Sinister Minister 12-1 Bob Baffert Victor Espinoza
5 Point Determined 12-1 Bob Baffert Rafael Bejarano
6 Showing Up 20-1 Barclay Tagg Cornelio Velasquez
7 Bob and John 12-1 Bob Baffert Garrett Gomez
8 Barbaro 4-1 Michael Matz Edgar Prado
9 Sharp Humor 20-1 Dale Romans Mark Guidry
10 A.P. Warrior 15-1 John Shirreffs Corey Nakatani
11 Sweetnorthernsaint 10-1 Michael Trombetta Kent Desormeaux
12 Private Vow 50-1 Steve Asmussen Shaun Bridgmohan
13 Bluegrass Cat 30-1 Todd Pletcher Ramon Dominguez
14 Deputy Glitters 50-1 Tom Albertrani Jose Lezcano
15 Seaside Retreat 50-1 Mark Casse Patrick Husbands
16 Cause to Believe 50-1 Jerry Hollendorfer Russell Baze
17 Lawyer Ron 4-1 Bob Holthus John McKee
18 Brother Derek 3-1 Dan Hendricks Alex Solis
19 Storm Treasure 50-1 Steve Asmussen David Flores
20 Flashy Bull 50-1 Kiaran McLaughlin Mike Smith

CDSN Handicappers' Early Top 10 Kentucky Derby 132 Selections:
http://www.kentuckyderby.com/2006/derby_coverage/derby_news/top_20.html

[two gun sid]

32. Kentucky Derby PP's from DRF:...

http://www.drf.com/tc/kentuckyderby/2006/pps/06kentuckyderby.pdf

Good luck to all you handicappers. I hope you have a profitable day.

[aaronbees]

33. Odds update: Barbaro/Sweetnorthernsaint co-faves now...

at 6-1. Point Determined and Sinister Minister are bet down to 8-1. Brother Derek and Lawyer Ron at 10-1.

[GOPisEvil]

34. Don't ask me why, but my longshot pick is: Private Vow

My longer-shot pick is Storm Treasure.

Edit - My chalk pick is Steppenwolfer.