Early Kentucky Derby Odds

Some great values in this Kentucky Derby:

1) Lookin at Lucky 9-1

2) Ice Box 11-1

3) Noble’s Promise 21-1

4) Super Saver 7-1

5) Line of David 15-1

6) Stately Victor 16-1

7) American Lion 25-1

8) Dean’s Kitten 18-1

9) Make Music For Me 25-1

10) Paddy O’Prado 11-1

11) Devil May Care11-1

12) Conveyance 25-1

13) Jackson Bend 22-1

14) Mission Impazible 24-1

15) Discreetly Mine 41-1

16) Awesome Act 13-1

17) Dublin 21-1

18) Backtalk 20-1

19) Homeboykris 17-1

20) Sidney’s Candy 11-1

Kentucky Oaks Breakdown

On a spectacular day at Churchill Downs, it promises to be one of the more exciting Kentucky Oaks Days on record. We will see Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra look to regain her glory in the La Troienne and then, four hours later, the Fillies will run for the Lillies.

A full field of 14 will run in the Kentucky Oaks and here's a breakdown of the field.

#1 It's Tea Time (Career Record - 3-1-2-0) - The inexperienced filly ran great in Keeneland's Ashland as she was narrowly beaten by fellow Oaks competitor Evening Jewel. She's a talented horse but the big question about her is will she handle dirt as her races have only been on turf and polytrack.

#2 Jody Slew (Career Record - 10-4-0-3) - The daughter of Slew City Slew has been tough to figure out. She started of her three-year-old season with two straight wins but then threw in a clunker last time with a seventh place finish in the Fair Grounds Oaks. She will need her best effort to have any chance here.

#3 Quiet Temper (Career Record - 8-3-4-0) - The Dale Romans trained filly seems to be getting better with each this year. She won the Fair Grounds Oaks last time and the fact that she was able to stay behind the speed. If she does that again today, she'll have a great chance.

#4 Age of Humor (Career Record - 5-2-2-1) - This is another filly that is getting a little better with each start but she will need to improve a lot to be a factor today. She finished second last time at Turfway Park but was a soundly beaten third behind Jody Slew and Quiet Temper in the Silverbulletday.

#5 Blind Luck (Career Record - 9-6-1-2) - Trained by Northern California kingpin Jerry Hollendorfer, she is a deserving favorite. Her last start was a very impressive win in the Fantasy at Oaklawn Park and that race gave her valuable experience on the dirt. If she repeats that performance, she will be tough to beat.

#6 Beautician (Career Record - 8-1-4-0) - Her last place finish in Ashland at Keeneland a month ago is a bit of a concern. You could just simply write the race off because it was Polytrack but you never like seeing a horse enter the biggest race of her life off such a bad effort. She does have one win at Churchill Downs and does prefer dirt to the artificial kind.

#7 Crisp (Career Record - 5-3-0-1) - Off since early March, the John Sadler trained filly has been one of the best in Southern California. Her only subpar effort was a fourth place finish to Blind Luck and Evening Jewel in mid February. She should laying just behind the early speed and, if she likes the dirt, will be a major factor.

#8 Tidal Pool (Career Record - 10-3-2-1) - Her running style will be crucial for her today. In her last race, the Fantasy, she went right to the lead but couldn't hold off Blind Luck. With other speed horses in the Oaks, she would be better suited by dropping back a bit. Jockey Calvin Borel is in the saddle which should be an added benefit.

#9 Bella Diamante (Career Record - 7-2-3-0) - The daughter of Lost Soldier has never fared well against the quality of this field and would appear to be up against it. If you are looking for a positive, she finished second to Quiet Temper last year.

#10 Champagne d'Oro (Career Record - 8-1-2-1) - She will be the speed of the race and likely the only way she'll win the race is if she can slow everything down up front. She tired that tactic in her last, the Fair Grounds Oaks, and finished a close second to Quiet Temper.

#11 Evening Jewel (Career Record - 8-3-4-0) - This filly is one of the most consistent in the field. She hasn't been worse than second in seven straight starts and finished only a nose behind Blind Luck in February. The big question mark is will she like dirt. She's only ever run on artificial dirt and she didn't even workout on the dirt at Churchill. Big question mark but big potential.

#12 Ailalea (Career Record - 6-2-0-1) - After trained Todd Pletcher entered Devil May Care into the Kentucky Derby, this become his only Oaks hope. Her two races in 2010 were subpar with two sixth place finishes and she will need to return to her 2009 form is she has any chance in the Oaks.

#13 Amen Hallelujah (Career Record - 9-4-2-2) - After she captured the Davona Dale in late February, she put herself on the map as a prime contender for the Oaks. She followed up that performance with a runner-up finish to Devil May Care but drawing the 13 post could present a problem as she tends to be near the lead. Her jockey must avoid getting floated wide on the first turn if she has a chance to win.

#14 Joanie's Catch (Career Record - 18-2-8-6) - The most experienced member of the field but doesn't win very much. Her best effort was a third place finish to Devil May Care and Amen Hallelujah in the Davona Dale. With her post position and not so stellar record, it will take a herculean effort for her to wear lillies.

Wet Track Pointers

WEATHER FORECAST UPDATE: Good news is that worst of probably won't get going until mid-morning but it's still a bad forecast. Here's the latest from the National Weather Service.

Saturday: Periods of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 10am. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. High near 74. South wind between 10 and 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.

Saturday Night: Periods of showers and thunderstorms. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Low around 66. South wind between 10 and 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.

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The only certainty on Derby Day this year appears to be the weather which will be a rainy mess. Now the key is trying to figure out who will like the sloppy going on Saturday.

Here's some good info.

There are four horses that have already won on a wet track:

#4 Super Saver (Wet Track Record - 2-1-1-0) - His win on a sloppy track came at Belmont Park last year when he broke his maiden by seven lengths. His other wet track race came in his debut and he finished second to fellow Derby entrant Discreetly Mine. Plus, he has jockey Calvin Borel aboard and he has won two of the last three Derbys.

#11 Devil May Care (Wet Track Record - 1-1-0-0) - The filly enjoyed her only run in the slop when she debuted with a 4 3/4-length victory at Saratoga.

#15 Discreetly Mine (Wet Track Record - 2-1-0-0) - The Todd Pletcher-trained colt rolled to a 6 1/4-length win on a good track at Saratoga last August. He beat stablemate Super Saver in that race. His wet track loss came in early January when he finished fourth in the Spectacular Bid at Gulfstream Park.

#18 Backtalk (Wet Track Record - 2-2-0-0) - The son of 2004 Derby winner Smarty Jones won his career debut by 2 3/4-lengths on a good track. In February, he captured a minor stakes race at Delta Downs on a sloppy track.

Others to keep an eye on:

#2 Ice Box - He's never run on a wet track but his father, Pulpit, liked it. And one of trainer Nick Zito's Derby wins came on a sloppy track (Go For Gin).

#6 Stately Victor - In his career debut, he finished second on a "good" track at Saratoga.

#14 Mission Impazible - He finished third in last year's Kentucky Juvenile at Churchill on a "good" track and was second in a "sloppy" track allowance race at Gulfstream in January.

#17 Dublin - Don't let his fourth place finish to Backtalk last year at Churchill fool you. He had a tough trip in that race and his parents both ran well on wet tracks.

Last Stop or Not?

For many years, the "Road to the Kentucky Derby" basically ended in the Coolmore Lexington Stakes at Keeneland with just two weeks before the big race. But, with an overflow field expected, there might be one more stop.

In the Coolmore Lexington, the two horses with the only shot to move on to the Derby are Uptowncharlybrown and Connemara. The connections for both horses were uncertain even if they were victorious that they would move to the first Saturday in May.

What other race could change the picture? Believe it or not, it's the Derby Trial which is run on opening day of the Churchill Downs Spring Meet. The Derby Trial, which many years ago was one of the major prep races for the Derby as the race produced eight Derby winners, has been de-emphasized over the years since it is run a week before the Derby.

This year, with the purse being increased to $200,000 (thanks in part to horse owner Robert LaPenta whose sponsorship helped rename the race after one his Derby Hopefuls, The Cliff's Edge), a win might propel another horse into the Derby field.

One such horse is Eightyfiveinafifty. The colt, who was thought to be a Derby contender early in the year, took a step back after he "bolted" during the running of the Whirlaway at Aqueduct and didn't finish the race. After a little time off, he came back with an easy win the Bay Shore Handicap on the same day that Eskendereya won the Wood Memorial.

That win plus the Derby Trial would put him at #21 on the current list and be the first win in if another horse drops out. Don't be surprised if another horse, who is outside the Top 20, takes a shot at the Derby Trial with the intent of rolling back the next week.

On Friday, another horse joined the fray with hopes of going from the Derby Trial to Derby. Pleasant Prince, who is currently 26th, looked to be out of the Derby after running seventh in the Blue Grass last Saturday. The colt, who narrowly lost the Florida Derby to Ice Box in March, will make his third start in four weeks in the Derby Trial.

Plus, don't forget that it's always a near certainty that at least horse one will either drop out or get hurt before next Wednesday.

The horses that are waiting to get in are:

21) Jackson Bend

22) Backtalk

23) Make Music For Me

24) A Little Warm and Setsuko

26) Pleasant Prince

27) Caracortado

28) Connemara

So just when you thought we finally had our field of 20....think again. That's what has made this Road to the Derby a great ride.

Derby Over Analysis, One Step at a Time

With just one Kentucky Derby prep race left, the over analysis of the potential field can really begin and I'll start off with a relatively easy analysis.

Sometimes the simplest way to analyze at a race is to look at the information that is right in front of you. The Daily Racing Form publishes a set of speed figures, Beyers (named for their inventor Andy Beyer), and they give you a quick and easy look at how fast a horse ran in a particular race.

(If you want a little more info on the Beyer Speed Figures click http://drf.com/flash/drf_pp_tutorial.html)

For those who believe in the Beyer Speed Figures, there are only three horses who have broken through the 100 barrier.

Eskendereya, the likely 2-1 favorite, is the number king as he racked up a 109 in last week's Wood Memorial and 106 in the Fountain of Youth back in February.

Next on the list is Santa Anita Derby winner Sidney's Candy. The horse, who is named for weight loss giant Jenny Craig's late husband Sidney, scored a 100 last week.

The only other horse inside the Top 20 who has a landed a triple digit figure might surprise you. (It surprised me.) Endorsement, who won the Sunland Park Derby on March 28, earned a 101. And before you dismiss the Sunland Park Derby, it produced a little horse named Mine That Bird.

The only major horse who hasn't cracked 100 is 2-year-old champion Lookin at Lucky. One would imagine he might have if didn't get sideswiped in the Santa Anita Derby but he is widely considered to be one of the horses to beat in less than three weeks.

What do these numbers mean? Quite possibly nothing but at the very least you see, at a glance, who merits your attention.

There will be plenty of other ways to analyze the field of 20 but we'll take it slow and pass on additional insight as we countdown to the Derby.

Winners and Losers

The continuing and ever changing Kentucky Derby picture got even a little more crazy on Saturday afternoon after big upsets in the Blue Grass and Arkansas Derby.

The only constant on Saturday was who is still the horse to beat in just under three weeks. According to Churchill Downs morning line oddsmaker, Eskendereya will likely be a 2-1 favorite for the Derby and Sidney's Candy and Lookin at Lucky will be the second and third choices.

After a topsy turvy Saturday. here's a look at Saturday's winners and losers:

WINNERS

Stately Victor - A horse that wasn't considered a serious Derby contender at any point this year vaulted himself from a no name to #9 on the Derby Graded Stakes earnings list after capturing the Blue Grass Stakes with a record win payoff of $82.20. The son of Ghostzapper now gives Churchill Downs based trainer Mike Maker two Derby starters (the other - Dean's Kitten).

Paddy O'Prado - Seemingly trainer Dale Romans' last hope for a Derby starter, the gray colt delivered with a solid runner-up finish in the Blue Grass. Paddy O'Prado moved into 19th on the Earnings List and will give two-time Derby winning rider Kent Desormeaux a shot at a Roses "hat trick."

Interactif - His fourth place finish in the Blue Grass may seem insignificant but the $37,500 in earnings he pocketed put him in 17th place and all but locked up a spot in the Derby starting gate. Trainer Todd Pletcher said that neither of horses in the Blue Grass cared for the artificial Polytrack but nonetheless, he still managed a good effort to pick up needed money.

Line of David - Trai

ner John Sadler, who already had a major contender with Sidney's Candy, added one more after Line of David led nearly every step of the way in an upset victory in the Arkansas Derby. The son of 2004 Derby runner of Lion Heart won his third straight and is tied with Eskendereya for fifth on the Earnings list.

Jon Court - The jockey, who spent many years at Churchill Downs, now has a cha

nce to return home with one of the hottest horses in the Road to the Kentucky Derby.

Super Saver - Even though he narrowly lost the Arkansas Derby, his effort was significant for the following:

Calvin Borel - One of the most beloved and well known jockeys in the past few years secured another ride in the Derby after he guided Super Saver to his 2nd place effort. Borel will be seeking his third victory in four years, which would be a remarkable achievement.

WinStar Farm - This well known Kentucky farm locked up their fourth Derby contender with Super Saver's finish. They could add a fifth if Drosselmeyer runs and wins next week's Coolmore Lexington Stakes. Drosselmeyer is currently 36th on the Earnings list and the Lexington victory is essential is he wants run on the first Saturday in May.

Todd Pletcher - The future Hall of Fame trainer, who is 0-for-24 in the Derby, now has six horses slated to "Run for the Roses" led by Eskendereya.

LOSERS

Jackson Bend - Even though he has been runner-up to Derby favorite Eskendereya two consecutive times, the Nick Zito trained colt slipped from #17 to #22 on the Earnings list after Saturday's Derby Prep upsets. The only shot he has to make it into the Derby field is with two defections. Zito's lone Derby hope is now with Florida Derby winner Ice Box.

Pleasant Prince - After finishing second in the Florida Derby, it seemed that he was all but a lock to make the Derby. But after it became apparent that he wasn't going to have enough money to get it, his connections elected to run him in the Blue Grass. That moves backfired as he finished seventh and now sits 29th on the Earnings List.

Odysseus - In the middle of March, he was the talk of racing after pulling off an improbable victory in the Tampa Bay Derby. Since that was his only Graded Stakes race, he was going to need no worse than a third place finish in the Blue Grass to move on to the Kentucky Derby. Things looked promising early as he was on the lead but he tired quickly on the final and finished last. He's now 26th on the list.

Aikenite/Todd Pletcher - The only bad news from Saturday for Pletcher was with Aikenite's subpar performance knocked him down 24th on the Earnings List. The Preakness might be next for him.

Make Music For Me - Trainer Alexis Barba has a small stable of horses and she was really hoping to have her first Derby starter but after his sixth place finish in the Blue Grass, he went from 20th to 25th on the Earnings List.

Backtalk - Even though he didn't run this weekend, he slipped out of the Top 20. He dropped form 18th to 23rd and all trainer Tom Amoss can do is wait and hope for defections.

Photos courtesy of Eclipse Sportswire

Updated Derby Bucks

In the ever changing Graded Stakes money picture for the Kentucky Derby, here's the list computer by yours truly with just one prep race left.

# Horse Trainer $$$$$$$

1 Lookin at Lucky Bob Baffert $1,480,000

2 Noble's Promise Ken McPeek $738,000

3 Rule Todd Pletcher $645,000

4 Sidney's Candy John Sadler $630,000

t-5 Eskendereya Todd Pletcher $600,000

t-5 Line of David John Sadler $600,000

7 Mission Impazible Todd Pletcher $485,934

8 Ice Box Nick Zito $457,500

9 Stately Victor Mike Maker $451,112

10 Endorsement Shannon Ritter $400,000

11 Conveyance Bob Baffert $386,000

12 American Lion Eoin Harty $378,000

13 Dublin D. Wayne Lukas $373,208

14 Super Saver Todd Pletcher $363,832

15 Discreetly Mine Todd Pletcher $355,000

16 Dean's Kitten Mike Maker $326,475

17 Interactif Todd Pletcher $307,950

18 Awesome Act Jeremy Noseda $285,000

19 Paddy O'Prado Dale Romans $250,950

20 Homeboykris Richard Dutrow $250,500

21 Uh Oh Bango Kory Owens $237,952

22 Jackson Bend Nick Zito $230,000

23 Backtalk Tom Amoss $225,916

24 Aikenite Todd Pletcher $221,750

25 Make Music For Me Alexis Barba $218,750

26 Odysseus Tom Albertrani $183,750

27 A Little Warm Tony Dutrow $180,000

27 Setsuko Richard Mandella $180,000

29 Pleasant Prince Wesley Ward $166,250

30 Tempted to Tapit Steve Klesaris $156,000

31 Caracortado Mike Machowsky $153,000

32 Connemara Todd Pletcher $138,500

33 Schoolyard Dreams Derek Ryan $137,500

34 Northern Giant D. Wayne Lukas $132,000

35 First Dude Dale Romans $97,500

36 Drosselmeyer Bill Mott $94,500

Zenyatta - Queen For Only One Day

In the midst of the building anticipation of the Kentucky Derby, one of the greatest Equine athletes we've seen in years returns to the stage on Friday.

Zenyatta, (left) the equine version of the UConn Women's basketball team, will put her 15-for-15 record on the line in Oaklawn Park's Apple Blossom.

Seeing her run is always a treat and those in Hot Springs, Ark. will be a witness to what should be another victory.

The sad part though is that this race was supposed to the "Race of the Century" between Zenyatta and 2009 Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra.

It is debatable why Rachel and her connections elected to skip the Apple Blossom but after suffering her first defeat last month to Zardana (Zenyatta's stablemate), there was little doubt she wasn't ready to face Zenyatta and pursue the $5,000,000 purse that Oaklawn Park owner Charles Cella was offering.

One can only hope that the two will meet this year because it is a near certainty that their racing careers will be over at the end of the year. (This debate will be left for another article.)

Rachel's defection from the Apple Blossom left only four other competitors who are nowhere close to the ability of Zenayatta.

Zenyatta is an imposing figure and her presence in just about any race will scare off most of the competition. But with $500,000 on the line, it is surprising that only four others volunteered to step in the ring with racing's heavyweight.

Plus, her seemingly inevitable victory will be quickly overshadowed Saturday by the $1,000,000 Arkansas Derby, one of the last major Kentucky Derby preps on the calendar.

Racing needs a star like Zenyatta and the only way she will ever get the attention she deserves is if she faces Rachel. An added bonus would be for Zenyatta to run at Churchill Downs during Kentucky Derby week. That's the only place all year where over 1,600 members of the media and over 100,000 people will attend the races.

Zenyatta was supposed to run there last year but trainer John Shirreffs decided that the morning rains on Derby Day made the track unsuitable for his star pupil. Let's hope they make a return trip to the Twin Spires in a couple of weeks.

And, a little horse named Rachel Alexandra happens to be stabled there so might the "Race of the Century" be on again? That might be a longshot but at the very worst, the largest crowd in person and on TV for a racing during the year might get a chance to gaze upon an incredible athlete.

Photos courtesy of Eclipse Sportswire - http://www.eclipsesportswire.com

Top 10 Cons for Eskendereya

Now for those who don't like Derby favorites or just don't believe the hype of Eskendereya, this is for you. Here are 10 reasons to look at the other 19 horses in the Derby field.

CONS

10) Feeling Lucky? - Winning the Kentucky Derby involves a lot of luck and Eskendereya has been very fortunate in his races this year. The only time in his short career he had to overcome adversity was in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile last November when he nearly got body checked early in the race and wound up finishing ninth. Every horse has the same obstacle in the Derby but when you are the favorite, that fortune or misfortune is magnified. Four leaf clover anyone?

9) Quality - One angle when trying to handicap the Derby is to figure out the quality of your previous competition. The Wood Memorial seems to have been a decent field but not very deep. In the race before, the Fountain of Youth, the competition was weaker. Only time will tell if he in fact beat good horses or not.

8) Road Weary - For a young horse, travelling a lot can be a concern. Eskendereya will not only be racing at his sixth different track in his career, but trainer Todd Pletcher elected to send his phenom back to Florida to train for two weeks before leaving for Kentucky. It seems like an unnecessary extra trip when you need every edge in a race like the Derby.

7) Out of Gas? - Although he won the Wood and Fountain of Youth easily, was it too much, too soon for the sophomore? It's very possible that he peaked with his eye opening victory in the Wood and to try and duplicate that in the Derby will take a special horse. He's not that yet.

6) Derby Chalk - After Lookin at Lucky's hard luck defeat in California, Eskendereya will be the choice on the first Saturday in May and being a Kentucky Derby favorite has proved to be a curse on many occasions. Although the percentage of favorite that have won the Derby (38%) is slightly higher than the industry average, it is somewhat surprising that more haven't won the "Run for the Roses." We've seen plenty of talented favorites come to Louisville and leave with nothing more than a long day at the track.

5) Road Never Traveled - History is on the side for Eskendereya after winning the Wood Memorial as it has produced 20 Derby victors. But the colt is trying to become the first horse to win the Fountain of Youth, Wood and Derby. It may seem to be a small thing but these little statistical anomalies seem to hold up over time.

4) No Guts, No Glory - Sometimes the measure of a great horse is how they win the close finishes. 1997 Derby winner Silver Charm became known for being one of the guttiest horses as he was battled tested time and again. In Eskendereya's four wins, he only once was asked for run and that was when he was on the lead against weak competition. In the Derby, he will be coming from behind and then likely have to turn back the country's best 3-year-old challengers.

3) Running Style - Based on what we've seen, the horses on the lead in the Derby should be moving at a pretty good clip and Eskendereya won't be far behind. That could soften him up and leave him vulnerable down the famous and long Churchill Downs stretch.

2) In The Saddle - Jockey John Velazquez is one of the top riders in the country but the "Run for the Roses" has eluded him. He is 0-for-11 and that's the sixth most Derby mounts without a win. It's his best chance for a victory but the pressure to win this event on a horse with huge expectations is tremendous. He's in a tough spot but none tougher than.....

1) Best Never To Win.... - It's a phrase we've heard many times in sports. Golfer Phil Mickelson was saddled with that title for years until he finally broke through and won The Masters. Trainer Todd Pletcher is in that very same position. Despite being one of the best in the business, he has come up empty with 24 horses in the Kentucky Derby. After this Derby is in the books, he will have had the second most Derby entrants in history, trailing only his mentor D. Wayne Lukas.

To his credit, he does have a Belmont Stakes victory but winning the Derby is THE benchmark. He is by far the leader with most starters in the Derby without winning. He will be peppered with questions over the next three weeks about that and he has said this colt is his best shot to end his Derby Drought. If Eskendereya doesn't win, it will be a long 364 days until Derby 137.

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

The Money List - 4/4/10

Here is the Kentucky Derby Graded Stakes Earnings list as I have compiled it. (Churchill Downs will release its Official List during the week.) I have not included another of the fillies and Breeders' Cup Juvenile champ Vale of York since they appear unlikely to run but this should give you a good idea where everyone stands with less than a month to go.

Horse Trainer Graded Earnings Record

1 Lookin At Lucky Bob Baffert $1,480,000 8-6-1-1

2 Noble's Promise Ken McPeek $708,000 7-3-3-1

3 Rule Todd Pletcher $645,000 7-4-1-2

4 Sidney's Candy John Sadler $630,000 6-4-1-0

5 Eskendereya Todd Pletcher $600,000 6-4-1-0

6 Ice Box Nick Zito $457,500 7-3-0-0

7 Mission Impazible Todd Pletcher $473,434 5-2-1-1

8 Endorsement Shannon Ritter $400,000 4-2-1-0

9 Conveyance Bob Baffert $386,000 5-4-1-0

10 American Lion Eoin Harty $378,000 6-3-1-1

11 Discreetly Mine Todd Pletcher $355,000 8-2-3-1

12 Dean's Kitten Michael Maker $326,475 11-3-1-2

13 Awesome Act Jeremy Noseda $285,000 8-2-2-2

14 Dublin D. Wayne Lukas $273,208 7-2-1-1

15 Interactif Todd Pletcher W $270,450 7-3-2-1

16 Homeboykris Rick Dutrow $250,500 6-2-1-0

17 Jackson Bend Nick Zito R $230,000 9-5-4-0

18 Backtalk Tom Amoss $225,916 7-4-0-1

19 Aikenite Todd Pletcher $218,000 6-1-1-2

20 Make Music for MeAlexis Barba $215,000 7-1-2-1

21 Mendip Saeed bin Suroor $200,000 4-3-1-0

22 Radiohead (GB) Rick Dutrow $196,332 9-3-2-1

23 Uh Oh Bango Kory Owens $187,952 6-2-3-0

t24 A Little Warm Tony Dutrow $180,000 7-2-4-0

t24 Odysseus Tom Albertrani $180,000 4-3-1-0

t24 Setsuko Richard Mandella $180,000 8-1-4-2

27 Super Saver Todd Pletcher $163,832 5-2-1-1

28 Pleasant Prince Wesley Ward $162,500 7-1-2-1

29 Tempted to Tapit Steve Klesaris $156,000 6-1-3-1

30 Caracortado Mike Machowsky $153,000 7-5-0-1

31 Connemara Todd Pletcher $138,500 5-3-1-1

32 Schoolyard Dreams Derek Ryan $137,500 6-2-2-1

33 Northern Giant D. Wayne Lukas $127,000 8-1-2-2

34 Paddy O'Prado Dale Romans $100,950 5-1-1-2

35 Drosselmeyer Bill Mott $94,500 7-2-2-2

The Derby Dollars

Now that there are just three major Kentucky Derby preps left, the chances to earn that crucial money to make it into the starting gate are evaporating quickly.

Three talented horses that were on the "money bubble." took care of business on Saturday. Most notably, Eskendereya's (left) eye opening 9 3/4-length win in the Wood vaulted him to $600,000 in Graded Stakes earnings. According to my unofficial tally, that's #5 on the list.

The wire-to-wire Santa Anita Derby victory for Sidney's Candy (right) propelled him #4 ($630,000) on the list while American Lion rose to #10 ($378,000) after he captured the Illinois Derby.

Ironically, the runner-ups in the Wood and Santa Anita Derby could well be left out of the Derby. Jackson Bend, the Wood second place finisher, moved up to #17 with $230,000, but could easily be passed next weekend. Santa Anita Derby runner-up Setsuko, is in even more peril as he has $180,000 and is tied with two others (A Little Warm and Odysseus) at #24.

Others notables that are in even more trouble are:

#28 - Pleasant Prince - $162,500

Florida Derby runner-up may run one more time

#29 - Tempted to Tapit - $156,000

Trainer indicated that he may skip the Derby because of insufficient earnings

#30 - Caracortado - $153,000

Fourth in Santa Anita Derby and unlikely to run again before Derby

#31 - Connemara - $138,500

Todd Pletcher has not said if he will run again after finishing 3rd in Lane's End

#32 - Schoolyard Dreams - $137,500

Fourth in Wood Memorial and unlikely to run again before Derby

#35 - Drosselmeyer - $94,500

Third place finisher in Louisiana Derby likely to run in Coolmore Lexington

The money drama will continue over the next two weeks but three horses and their connections can rest easy.

Santa Anita Derby photo courtesy of Eclipse Sportswire

The New King of New York

Going into the Wood Memorial there were a lot of unanswered questions and chief among them was if Eskendereya was the real deal. It didn't take him long to silence a lot of his critics as he rolled to a 9 3/4-length victory over Jackson Bend.

On a foggy and unexpectedly chilly afternoon at Aqueduct, the well bred son of Giant's Causeway sat just off the lead and then rolled up on the outside on the far turn and cruised home to the easy and eye opening victory.

After the race, trainer Todd Pletcher, who is seeking his first Derby winner, was ecstatic after the race.

"It's amazing," he said. "The further he goes, the stronger he gets....We've never had a horse we know could handle the mile and a quarter and we've not had one put together a couple of preps like this one. We've had some good prep wins but none as impressive as these two."

Those are strong words from one of the bests trainer in America. And there certainly have been many, many horses who have come into the Derby with a lot of hype and failed to deliver but you rarely hear this kind of praise from Pletcher.

Rounding out the finish in the Wood was Awesome Act, Schoolyard Dreams, Carnivore and Most Happy Fella.

Only time will tell if he indeed beat a great field in the Wood Memorial. You should expect to see Jackson Bend and Awesome Act also move on to Louisville.

"These guys have to run against Muhammad Ali (Eskendereya)," said trainer Nick Zito, who conditioned Jackson Bend. "That's smokin' Joe Frazier (Jackson Bend). Eskendereya just proved himself a monster. For Jackson Bend, you can not give him enough credit. I am very proud of him...We're going to Kentucky and see what happens. Kentucky is a place for a horse to get good...One thing we do know - Eskendereya is in a class by himself."

"My horse was not suited by the pace," said Awesome Act's trainer Jeremy Noseda. "It was a great performance by the winner but for my horse the pace was wrong. He lost a shoe coming out of the gate, which didn't help. We'll move on to Kentucky and go from there."

The Wood has produced 20 Derby winners and the last won to capture both the Wood and Derby was Fusaichi Pegasus (2000). (Fusaichi Pegasus was sent off as the Derby favorite)

The bottom line is that at least for one day, we saw a horse with all the tools to win the "Run for the Roses" and should help Pletcher break his 0-for-Derby streak he would love to eradicate.