Kentucky Derby 141 Odds Update - 4:15 pm (ET)

1 Ocho Ocho Ocho     24-1
2 Carpe Diem              7-1
3 Materiality               14-1
4 Tencendur                52-1
5 Danzig Moon           20-1
6 Mubtaahij                 13-1
7 El Kabeir                  SCRATCHED
8 Dortmund                 4-1
9 Bolo                         31-1
10 Firing Line              8-1
11 Stanford                 SCRATCHED
12 International Star   SCRATCHED
13 Itsaknockout          28-1
14 Keen Ice                40-1
15 Frosted                    9-1
16 War Story              40-1
17 Mr. Z                     31-1
18 American Pharoah 3-1
19 Upstart                   20-1
20 Far Right                37-1
21 Frammento             78-1

Kentucky Derby 141 Odds Update - 1:45 PM (ET)

1 Ocho Ocho Ocho     24-1
2 Carpe Diem              7-1
3 Materiality               14-1
4 Tencendur                53-1
5 Danzig Moon           20-1
6 Mubtaahij                 12-1
7 El Kabeir                  SCRATCHED
8 Dortmund                 4-1
9 Bolo                         31-1
10 Firing Line              8-1
11 Stanford                 SCRATCHED
12 International Star   SCRATCHED
13 Itsaknockout          28-1
14 Keen Ice                38-1
15 Frosted                    9-1
16 War Story              40-1
17 Mr. Z                     30-1
18 American Pharoah 3-1
19 Upstart                   21-1
20 Far Right                36-1
21 Frammento             94-1

Kentucky Derby Odds Update - 12 pm (ET)

1 Ocho Ocho Ocho     24-1
2 Carpe Diem              7-1
3 Materiality               14-1
4 Tencendur                56-1
5 Danzig Moon           20-1
6 Mubtaahij                 12-1
7 El Kabeir                  SCRATCHED
8 Dortmund                 4-1
9 Bolo                         33-1
10 Firing Line              8-1
11 Stanford                 SCRATCHED
12 International Star   SCRATCHED
13 Itsaknockout          29-1
14 Keen Ice                37-1
15 Frosted                    9-1
16 War Story              41-1
17 Mr. Z                     30-1
18 American Pharoah 3-1
19 Upstart                   21-1
20 Far Right                37-1
21 Frammento             94-1

Kentucky Derby 141 Odds Update - 10:45 AM (ET)

Good morning from Churchill Downs. We are now down to 18 horses for the Kentucky Derby so here are the current odds after the scratch of International Star.

1 Ocho Ocho Ocho     23-1
2 Carpe Diem              7-1
3 Materiality               14-1
4 Tencendur                58-1
5 Danzig Moon           20-1
6 Mubtaahij                 12-1
7 El Kabeir                  SCRATCHED
8 Dortmund                 4-1
9 Bolo                         34-1
10 Firing Line              8-1
11 Stanford                 SCRATCHED
12 International Star   SCRATCHED
13 Itsaknockout          29-1
14 Keen Ice                38-1
15 Frosted                    9-1
16 War Story              41-1
17 Mr. Z                     30-1
18 American Pharoah 3-1
19 Upstart                   21-1
20 Far Right                37-1
21 Frammento             99-1

Kentucky Derby Odds Update - 4 pm

Odds Update as of 4 p.m. (ET)

2) Oxbow - 22-1
3) Revolutionary -  5-1
4) Golden Soul - 29-1
5) Normandy Invasion - 8-1
6) Mylute 13-1
7) Giant Finish - 35-1
8) Goldencents - 7-1
9) Overanalyze - 14-1
10) Palace Malice - 22-1
11) Lines of Battle - 32-1
12) Itsmyluckyday - 9-1
13) Falling Sky - 36-1
14) Verrazano - 9-1
15) Charming Kitten - 29-1
16) Orb - 7-1
17) Will Take Charge - 31-1
18) Frac Daddy - 22-1
19) Java's War - 25-1
20) Vyjack - 30-1

Kentucky Derby Odds Update - 2 pm (ET)

Odds Update as of 2 pm (ET)

2) Oxbow - 22-1
3) Revolutionary -  5-1
4) Golden Soul - 29-1
5) Normandy Invasion - 7-1
6) Mylute 13-1
7) Giant Finish - 37-1
8) Goldencents - 7-1
9) Overanalyze - 14-1
10) Palace Malice - 23-1
11) Lines of Battle - 32-1
12) Itsmyluckyday - 9-1
13) Falling Sky - 37-1
14) Verrazano - 9-1
15) Charming Kitten - 29-1
16) Orb - 7-1
17) Will Take Charge - 30-1
18) Frac Daddy - 23-1
19) Java's War - 24-1
20) Vyjack - 34-1

Kentucky Derby Odds Update - Noon (ET)

Odds Update as of Noon (ET)

2) Oxbow - 22-1
3) Revolutionary -  5-1
4) Golden Soul - 30-1
5) Normandy Invasion - 7-1
6) Mylute 13-1
7) Giant Finish - 38-1
8) Goldencents - 6-1
9) Overanalyze - 14-1
10) Palace Malice - 24-1
11) Lines of Battle - 33-1
12) Itsmyluckyday - 9-1
13) Falling Sky - 38-1
14) Verrazano - 9-1
15) Charming Kitten - 29-1
16) Orb - 7-1
17) Will Take Charge - 30-1
18) Frac Daddy - 23-1
19) Java's War - 23-1
20) Vyjack - 34-1

Early Derby Wagering - Day 1

The win odds after the 1st Day of Wagering

2) Oxbow - 25-1
3) Revolutionary -  5-1
4) Golden Soul - 31-1
5) Normandy Invasion - 8-1
6) Mylute 14-1
7) Giant Finish - 44-1
8) Goldencents - 5-1
9) Overanalyze - 14-1
10) Palace Malice - 25-1
11) Lines of Battle - 42-1
12) Itsmyluckyday - 11-1
13) Falling Sky - 48-1
14) Verrazano - 11-1
15) Charming Kitten - 32-1
16) Orb - 6-1
17) Will Take Charge - 31-1
18) Frac Daddy - 15-1
19) Java's War - 22-1
20) Vyjack - 43-1

Kentucky Derby Odds Update - 2 p.m (ET)

Here's an update of the Kentucky Derby odds as of 2 p.m. (ET).

1) Daddy Long Legs - 23-1
2) Optimizer - 35-1
3) Take Charge Indy - 10-1
4) Union Rags -9-2
5) Dullahan - 10-1
6) Bodemeister - 7-1
7) Rousing Sermon - 35-1
8) Creative Cause - 11-1
9) Trinniberg - 39-1
10) Daddy Nose Best - 12-1
11) Alpha - 21-1
12) Prospective - 58-1
13) Went the Day Well - 26-1
14) Hansen - 13-1
15) Gemologist - 8-1
16) El Padrino - 26-1
17) Done Talking - 31-1
18) Sabercat - 33-1
19) I'll Have Another - 12-1
20) Liasion 53-1

Quick Look at the Breeders' Cup Classic

The 28^th running of the Breeders’ Cup should culminate with Goldikova going for an unprecedented fourth consecutive Mile victory and the best horses in the world fighting it out for the $5 million Classic.

The Classic is being built up as a potential duel between the talented Uncle Mo and this year’s “super filly” Havre de Grace but the race appears to be deeper than those two.

Here is a quick look at the Classic field:

1 – Prayer for Relief – Trainer Bob Baffert announced on Tuesday that he would scratch his colt because of a fever.

2 – Flat Out – He has been one of the most consistent horses all year and is very familiar with Churchill Downs as he spends part of the year under the Twin Spires. Oddly enough, he has yet to win in two starts at Churchill but will still be formidable if he can break through on Central Avenue.

3 – Drosselmeyer – He is best known for winning the Belmont Stakes in 2010 but has yet to recapture that glory. He has shown flashes this year including his runner up finish to Flat Out last month at Belmont. 

4 – Ruler On Ice – This year’s Belmont winner hasn’t repeated his stellar performance when he beat Animal Kingdom and Shackleford in the final leg of the Triple Crown. If the track comes up wet, that might serve as his best chance to upset this field.

5 – So You Think – The most well traveled horse in the field makes his U.S. debut after becoming a racing star in Australia in 2009-2010. His success continued in Europe this year but he will need to prove that he can run on dirt, which he has never done before.

6 – Ice Box – After showing tremendous promise with his 2010 Kentucky Derby runner-up finish, the Nick Zito trained colt returns to Churchill in hopes of showing that same brilliance. The son of Pulpit will need to repeat his Derby effort if he hopes for any chance to win.

7 – Rattlesnake Bridge – The lightly raced 3-year-old colt is improving with each start and his runner-up finish to Stay Thirsty in the Travers was his best effort to date. The question going into the Classic is how big of a step forward will he take when he faces older horses for the first time.

8 – Game on Dude - Trainer Bob Baffert’s best hope to win his first Classic rests with this son of 1998 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Awesome Again. He has two big wins, both in Southern California, and now “the dude” must prove he can win two events like that in a row.

9 – Stay Thirsty – The hottest 3-year-old in the country was a disappointment earlier this year when he 12^th in the Kentucky Derby but rebounded with a runner-up finish in the Belmont. After he swept the two big sophomore races at Saratoga  (Jim Dandy and Travers) he finished third to Flat Out and Drosselmeyer in his last race. Now, the question will be can he win outside of New York, which he has yet to do.

10 – Havre de Grace – Last year, Zenyatta attempted to beat the boys for the second straight year in the Classic but fell just short to Blame. Now this super filly, who has won 5 of 6 this year, will try to look to become just the second female to win this event. He biggest Achilles heel could simply be the distance of the Classic – 1 ¼ miles. She has lost both times running that far (all against her gender) and now will have to do that against the boys.

11 – Headache – The other “local” horse in the field will need to improve off his fifth place finish in The Whitney to have any shot. He does have two big advantages though – He has three victories at Churchill Downs and has a win at the 1 ¼ miles distance.

12 – Uncle Mo – There were such high hopes for last year’s 2-year-old champion after he cruised to victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. He was expected to be the favorite for the Kentucky Derby but a rare liver ailment kept him out of the Triple Crown and away from the races from late April until August. After a runner-up finish at Saratoga in August, he cruised to an easy and impressive win at Belmont last month. His ability has never been in question but can Mo beat the best horses in the world at 1 ¼ miles?

13 – To Honor And Serve – Another colt that was expected to be formidable as 3-year-old but he yet to win a big race this year. His last race was impressive but it wasn’t even close to the level of horses he’s running against on Saturday.

The Filly In Front

Havre de Grace cruising to win in Belmont's Beldame

In what has been a very up and down year with racing’s elite horses, we may have finally seen the best rise to the top this past weekend but we still don’t have a unequivocal “horse to beat.”

A lot of attention, and justifiably so, will be focused on Havre de Grace (right) who not only has emerged as the best filly in the country but perhaps the best horse. She left little doubt about who the top female is after cruising to an easy win in Saturday’s Beldame at Belmont Park. That victory was on the heels of her breakout performance on Labor Day Weekend when she beat males in Saratoga’s Woodward Handicap.

Her trainer, Larry Jones, indicated her next race will be in the Breeders’ Cup Classic and with a victory would lock up Horse of the Year. She would become the third female in a row to capture that title, marking a first in racing.

With her resume and the fact that a girl is racing against the boys, she will likely be the favorite for the Classic at Churchill Downs next month.

Another former star that has returned to some semblance of glory is 2-year-old champion Uncle Mo.  He was all set to be racing’s next “big thing” but a mysterious liver infection knocked him out of the Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown. The colt didn’t return to the races until late August when he finished second but  he rocketed to an impressive victory in the Kelso at Belmont in a very quick final time.

You can certainly make a case, as some have, that Uncle Mo and his late resurgence will make him the favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. There is no question that he does have more mainstream name recognition than all of his potential competitors but it’s hard to see a horse who has yet to beat any of the top caliber athletes become the betting choice next month.

Another horse that will likely take significant money at the betting windows include Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Flat Out (left) who has been finished only worse than second once all year. But, that off the board finish came at Churchill Downs in the June’s Stephen Foster Handicap. What could be more troubling is that he is 0-for-2 at Churchill.

Also Uncle Mo’s stablemate, Stay Thirsty, has improved dramatically since his 12^th place finish in the Kentucky Derby. He has racked up wins in the Jim Dandy and Travers and will need to prove to everyone that he can run well and win outside of New York.

The top two horses from the West Coast will be Acclamation and Game on Dude. Both have had up and down years but Acclamation got white hot during the summer as he reeled off four wins in a row including the Pacific Classic. Game on Dude, from the barn of trainer Bob Baffert, has two big wins in ’11 including last weekends Goodwood and the Santa Anita Handicap back in March.

Who will be favored for the Classic will be an interesting story to watch but all signs point to the hottest girl in the country by the name Havre de Grace.

First Day Kentucky Derby Day Odds

Now that the first day of wagering is in the books, here is the rundown of the odds of the 19 Derby horses.

1) Archarcharch - 13-1
2) Brilliant Speed - 30-1
3) Twice The Appeal - 7-1
4) Stay Thirsty - 17-1
5) Decisive Moment - 42-1
6) Comma to The Top - 43-1
7) Pants On Fire - 9-1
8) Dialed In - 9-2
9) Derby Kitten - 29-1
10) Twinspired - 21-1
11) Master of Hounds - 18-1
12) Santiva 30-1
13) Mucho Macho Man - 12-1
14) Shackleford - 19-1
15) Midnight Interlude - 10-1
16) Animal Kingdom - 24-1
17) Soldat 17-1
18) Uncle Mo - SCRATCHED
19) Nehro - 7-1
20) Watch Me Go - 29-1

First Look at Derby Odds

Now that Uncle Mo is scratched from the Kentucky Derby and the wagering has begun, here is a first look at the odds for the Derby....

1) Archarcharch - 12-1
2) Brilliant Speed - 25-1
3) Twice The Appeal - 10-1
4) Stay Thirsty - 13-1
5) Decisive Moment - 36-1
6) Comma to The Top - 38-1
7) Pants On Fire - 8-1
8) Dialed In - 7-2
9) Derby Kitten - 27-1
10) Twinspired - 22-1
11) Master of Hounds - 99-1
12) Santiva 31-1
13) Mucho Macho Man - 8-1
14) Shackleford - 23-1
15) Midnight Interlude - 15-1
16) Animal Kingdom - 48-1
17) Soldat 21-1
18) Uncle Mo - SCRATCHED
19) Nehro - 10-1
20) Watch Me Go - 20-1

Missing Derby Star

The “Run for the Roses” is rapidly approaching and one of the all-time great Kentucky Derby jockeys may well be on the sidelines this year.

Calvin Borel, who is the only rider in Derby history to have won three times in a four year stretch (2007-2010), does not currently have a horse for this year’s renewal. His best chance, Elite Alex, finished a disappointing ninth in the Arkansas Derby. But all may not be lost for Borel as there are potentially three mounts that could open up in the next few days.

One could be J P’s Gusto, who was a well-beaten eighth in the Arkansas Derby. Right now, the connections are deciding if they want to run their colt in the Derby and if they decide it’s a go, then they may well be in the market for a new jockey.

 Borel aboard Rachel Alexandra in '09 Preakness

Another potential spot for Borel, although less likely, is Arkansas Derby runner-up Nehro.  Jockey Corey Nakatani already has one potential Derby ride with Santa Anita Derby runner-up Comma To The Top and if he sticks to that colt, then trainer Steve Asmussen would need a new jockey. Borel does not ride for Asmussen much but they did team up to win the Preakness in 2009 with the great filly Rachel Alexandra. (pictured right).

Another possible open spot for Borel is if Animal Kingdom commits to the Derby over the next few days. The colt, who won the Spiral Stakes last month, will more than likely need another rider as jockey Alan Garcia has already committed to ride Fountain of Youth winner Soldat. Plus, Animal Kingdom has had a different rider in each of his four starts.

The last open slot could be European based Master of Hounds. Jeff Lowe of Thoroughbred Times reported that Borel's agent Jerry Hissam plans to reach out to trainer Aidan O'Brien to see if he can get his client aboard the colt.

If none of those opportunities comes to pass then the Derby will be without a jockey who has had one of the most remarkable runs in racing history.

(Photo courtesy of Eclipse Sportswire)

Kentucky Derby "Stat of the Day"

With the 137th Kentucky Derby approaching, I have compiled a list of interesting stats and tidbits. I will add at least one per day via Twiiter (@lanegold) and below will be a list of all the nuggets I have posted so far.

If there's a stat you would like to see, please let me know.

• Uncle Mo is the only horse in this year's field with over $1,000,000 in earnings. He has $1,436,000 in earnings. The next closest is Dialed In ($879,206) and Archarcharch ($832,744).

• For those Master of Hounds fans, no horse since 1937 has won the Derby with just one start as a 3-year-old. The best finish was by Challedon (2nd) in 1939.

• Toby's Corner's father (Bellamy Road) and grandfather (Mister Frisky) were beaten Kentucky Derby favorites.

• Only two horses since 1937 have run worse than 4th in last pre-Derby start and went on to win Run for the Roses. Count Turf (5th, Wood Memorial) and Iron Leige - 1957 (5th, Derby Trial.

• There are 18 Derby winners starting with the letter "S", most ever. Of the 18, three won Triple Crown. (Sir Barton, Secretariat and Seattle Slew).

• The Lexington, which is set to run this weekend at Keeneland, has produced two Derby winners - Charismatic, 1999 &; Swale, 1984. Charismatic is the only horse to have won both races. Swale finished 2nd in the Lexington.

• Dialed In is looking to become first post-time favorite to win the Derby with four lifetime starts. The other horses who were favored - Coaltown (1948, 2nd. Note: - He was coupled with Triple Crown Winner Citation) and Indian Charlie (1998, 3rd).

• Dialed In will try to become just the third horse and first since 1918 to win Derby with just four lifetime starts. (Other winners - 1902 - Alan-a-Dale and 1918 - Exterminator)

• The Arkansas Derby has produced five Derby winners (1983, 1992, 1996, 2004, 2010). Only two horses won both.

• The Toyota Blue Grass has produced 23 Derby winners but only one has won both in last 31 years - Strike The Gold - 1991.

• There has been six horses that won the Derby after finishing 3rd in their last pre-Derby start.

Speed Figures - Saturday

After one of the last big days of Breeders' Cup Prep Races, here are some of key Beyer Speed Figures from the major stakes courtesy of Daily Racing Form. This time, I've included the horses previous figure for comparison.

BELMONT PARK

Jamaica
Prince Will I Am  90 (86)
Citrus Kid            87 (72)
Beau Choix         86 (94)

Frizette
A Z Warrior         81 (66)
R Heat Lightning   78 (76)
Joyful Victory       71 (77)

Champagne
Uncle Mo            94 (102)
Mountain Town   85 (61)
I'm Steppin Up    66 (61)

KEENELAND

Woodford
Silver Timber      99 (89)
Central City        98 (81)
Due Date            97 (90)

TCA
Dubai Majesty      91 (90)
Old Time Religion 89 (78)
Informed Decision 88 (90)

First Lady
Proviso                 102 (97)
C.S. Silk               101 (82)
Gotta Have Her     101 (86)

Breeders' Futurity
J.B.'s Thunder       84 (72)
Santiva                  77 (68)
Wilcox Inn            77 (73)

Shadwell Turf Mile
Gio Ponti              99 (100)
Society's Chairman 97 (84)
Courageous Cat    94 (103)

OAK TREE - HOLLYWOOD

Oak Tree Mile
Liberian Freighter 102 (96)
Colgan's Chip       102 (100)
Tropic Storm        97 (100)

Ancient Title
Smiling Title          103 (96)
Supreme Summit  102 (92)
EZ's Gentleman    100 (90)

Saturday's Speed Figures

On the biggest day of the Saratoga meet, here are some notable Beyer Speed Figures. (These are of course, courtesy of the Daily Racing Form.) I've also throw in a couple of Del Mar #'s as well.

The eye popping figure was the 2-year-old debut of Uncle Mo who earned a 102. He won his debut race by 14 1/4-lengths and was the fourth fastest figure of the day. Very impressive considering he is young and inexperienced..

Ballston Spa
Dynaslew         99

Victory Ride
Rapport            103

Ballerina
Rightly So        100

King's Bishop
Discreetly Mine  93

Travers
Afleet Express  105
Fly Down           105
First Dude           95
Afleet Again        93
A Little Warm     92

Del Mar

Pacific Classic
Richard's Kid        95
Crowded House    94
Dakota Phone       93

Pat O'Brien
El Brujo                 106
Crown of Thorns   105

Foster Day Beyer Speed Figures

Thanks to my friends at Daily Racing Form, here's a look at some of the key Beyer Speed Figures from today's Stephen Foster Day card at Churchill Downs.

Super filly Rachel Alexandra had the best Beyer of the day after her smashing win in the Fleur de Lis. Meanwhile, Blame continued his great run with a hard fought win over Battle Plan in the Stephen Foster.

Fleur de Lis
Rachel Alexandra       108 (winning margin  - 10 1/2-lengths)

Jefferson Cup
Gleam of Hope            86 (winning margin - 1/2 length)

Northern Dancer
Colizeo                         95 (winning margin - neck)
Worldly                        95

Regret
Caminadora                  84 (winning margin - 3/4 length)

Stephen Foster
Blame                           102 (winning margin - 3/4 length)
Battle Plan                   101
General Quarters         96

Strong Top Tier

Now that the Triple Crown is behind us, we start to turn our attention to the best horses in the country.

That's not a sleight against the top sophomores like Lookin at Lucky, Super Saver and Drosselmeyer. But the Triple Crown race winners are still growing and developing while the older horses are in their prime.

On Saturday, we saw some of those stars in action in Kentucky and California.

Blame stamped himself as one of the elite when he wore down the regally bred Battle Plan in the Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs. The win was Blame's fourth in a row and now has seven wins in 10 starts.

Battle Plan meanwhile suffered his first loss in his last five tries but should still be a force in the second half of the season.

Earlier in the day at Churchill Downs, defending Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra (right) reminded everyone she's still a super filly as she obliterated the Fleur de Lis by 10 1/2 lengths.

Her 108 Beyer Speed Figure from Saturday is identical to her record victory in last year's Kentucky Oaks and Preakness. Her record now stands at 12 wins from 17 starts. Not too shabby.

At Hollywood Park, Rail Trip pronoucned himself as the top male on the West Coast as he easily captured the California Handicap. He's now 2-for-2 this year and has won eight of 11 career starts. His only question mark for later in the year is will he duplicate his fantastic form on traditional dirt as all his victories have come in California.

On Sunday, Zenyatta, the undefeated superwoman, will likely stay perfect when she runs in the Vanity at Hollywood Park. (Post time - 7:37 EDT)

The only other horse to watch might be the best of them all. Quality Road, who captured the Met Mile on Memorial Day, has been super since he turned four. He is unbeaten in three starts this year and his win in the Donn Handicap produced the highest Beyer Speed Figure of the year - 121. In fact, Quality Road has two of the four best Beyers of 2010.

And, by the way, Todd Pletcher trains Quality Road, Battle Plan and Super Saver. Talk about a loaded barn.

The summer racing season should be fantastic and culminating with the Breeders' Cup at Churchill Downs in November.

Photo courtesy of Eclipse Sportswire - www.eclispsesportswire.com

Finally.....

BALTIMORE - No sport may be more dependent on luck than racing and Lookin at Lucky didn't have much go right for him in the last six weeks. On Saturday, the aptly named horse finally had everything go his way and captured the 135th Preakness Stakes.

Early in the week, trainer Bob Baffert, who now has five Preakness victories, elected to change riders on the Lookin at Lucky for the first time. Garrett Gomez was given the boot and 25-year-old Martin Garcia, a former cook at a Northern California deli, got the assignment.

Garcia looked like a calm, cool veteran as he kept the colt out of trouble the entire race and guided him to the front as they turned for home. Then Garcia kept after "Lucky" nearly the entire stretch run and held off a stubborn pacesetter First Dude.

"He knows I have confidence in him," Baffert said. "I think the jockey knows that a trainer has confidence in him, you click...I think we've been clicking. I sent him all over the States. I just hope he shows up Monday to work my horses."

The irony of the Preakness is that Gomez, who got a new riding assignment aboard Dublin, got into trouble right from the start and dropped back to last. Dublin made a nice run and finished fifth.

As for Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver, it just appeared he was tired. Jockey Calvin Borel kept Super Saver close to the front and the early taxing fractions took their toll as he started to fade before the final run down the home stretch.

"When they went to the far turn, you can see that Calvin was squeezing and asking him to get that horse (First Dude) and just couldn't do it," trainer Todd Pletcher said. "He hung in there. He kept fighting. He tried hard. It was back a little quick for him. Now we've got time to come back for a big summer."

Also, big credit to First Dude as he ran a gutty effort to hold on for second. He set a quick early pace and held off late challenges from Jackson Bend and Yawanna Twist.

The sad part for racing is that the Belmont Stakes will probably not get either Super Saver or Lookin at Lucky as both trainers seemed really uncertain about moving on to the toughest leg of the Triple Crown.

Looks like the most prominent horse at the Belmont will be Derby runner-up Ice Box. First Dude might also move on but that's still up in the air.

But it was great to see the best horse win as Lookin at Lucky proved that he still is one of the best 3-year-olds in the country.