Top 10 Pros for Eskendereya

Over the next couple of days, we'll take a look at the Top 10 reason to love or hate likely Kentucky Derby favorite Eskendereya.

We'll kick it off on a positive note and give you plenty of ammo to back up your love for what could be one of the best 3-year-olds we've seen in a few years.

10) The Golden Path - The Wood Memorial has produced more Derby winners (20) that any other prep race. The race has also produced the most Triple Crown winners - six. Not to say that Eskendereya will be accomplish something that no equine athlete has done in 32 years but just a little food for thought.

9) The Pilot - John Velazquez has been of the better riders in the country but the "Run for the Roses" has eluded him. Of the elite jockeys in the country, he is one of the few left that hasn't won a Derby. He is 0-for-11 but that should benefit to him since the Derby is unpredictable and experience is crucial.

8) Great Frequent Flyer - For a young horse, the travel around the country hasn't seemed to bother him. When he runs in the Derby, it will be his sixth different track in seven races.

7) Just the Right Number of Races - Since 1937, only nine horses have won the Derby racing just twice as a 3-year-old. Granted, the last three have succeeded with just two races before the Derby but the magic formula has nearly always been three.

6) Lineage - On the surface, there is no question that Eskendereya's family is outstanding. For starters, his Grandfather, Seattle Slew, won the Triple Crown in 1977 and his father, Giant's Causeway, was one of the best horses in the world in 2000. What makes his bloodlines even better is that his parents and Grandfather liked the Churchill Downs racing surface. Giant's Causeway was second in the Breeders' Cup Classic, his mother trained at Churchill during her brief racing career and, of course, Slew won the Derby.

5) Well Rested - Pletcher has not overraced this colt in 2010. He gave Eskendereya six weeks off after winning the Fountain of Youth in mid-February and now will have a month break before the Kentucky Derby. That rest will undoubtedly come in handy as the Derby will be the longest race of his career.

4) En Fuego - Along with Sidney's Candy, there has been no hotter 3-year-old. His back-to-back wins are the best we've seen this year and he seems to getting better with each start which isn't good news for the rest of the field. He has won three in a row and his margin of victory in those triumphs has gotten bigger and bigger despite the competition getting tougher.

3) Triple Figures - For those that believe in them, his last two
Beyer Speed Figures (106, and 109) are tough to ignore. What's even more remarkable is he achieved those figures an d wasn't even asked to exert himself. The last horse to put up these lofty figures in his previous two races before the Derby was Smarty Jones in 2004 and he went on to w in the Derby and Preakness.

2) Head Coach - Trainer Todd Pletcher, one of the best in the business, was uncharacteristically heaping praise on his pupil after winning the Wood. It has been well documented that he is 0-for-24 in the Derby but even he was happy to concede on Saturday that this is by far his best chance to capture Roses. And, it goes without saying that he is overdue.

1) Dirt is Good - Unlike a handful of other Derby hopefuls, Eskendereya has never lost on traditional dirt tracks (4-for-4). In fact, his best races have been on dirt and, for those who don't know, Churchill Downs has a dirt surface. With the proliferation of the artificial dirt courses, it is becoming more and more rare to find a horse who has quality experience on traditional dirt tracks.

Photos courtesy of Eclipse Sportswire