If a horse like Dunkirk and some others get much due respect with allowance victories, then why is Mr. Fantasy left off of all of these Top Whatevers that are being posted.  His allowance victories were just as impressive.  

Square Eddie was my Derby Horse before his injury. Can he come back healthy and ready for the Derby? Right now, I like Chocolate Candy. I see this as a hot paced Derby with a closer ready to pounce on the speed horses backing up. Horses that don't have the pressure of making the Derby earnings should have the advantage on the first Saturday in May.

1=freisen fire

2=midshipman

3=desert party

4th=hamazzing destiny

5th=zensational

6=pioneer of the nile

notonthesamepage will out run this entire crop forget the stamina question speed kills remember war emblem

I would put Stardom Bound on the top of my Derby top 10 - her 4 in a row grade 1 wins looks great compared to most of the colts currently in top 10 lists.

I AGREE WITH RYANLANE! MR. FANTASY SHOULD BE IN THE TOP 10 FOR SURE

HERE IS MY TOP 10:

1. OLD FASHIONED

2. MR. FANTASY

3. FRIESAN FIRE

4. PATENA

5. MIDSHIPMAN

6. MR. HOT STUFF

7. RACHEL ALEXANDRA

8. CHOCOLATE CANDY

9. DUNKIRK

10. (TIE) STARDOM BOUND & EVITA ARGENTINA

Being on the West Coast my eyes are on some of the runners here with a few East Coast horses picking up my interest too. So far I am following these horses,

1. Pioneer of the Nile

2. General Quarters

3. I Want Revenge

4. Evita Argentina

5. Stardom Bound

6. Take The Points

7. Old Fashioned

8. Fresian Fire

9. Flying Pegasus

10. Vineyard Haven

As always things can change if another horse suddenly pops up from nowhere. Never a sure thing until Derby day.

Not sure how you have Haynesfield over either Imperial Council or Mr. Fantasy. The Gotham could be one of the key preps this year with at least 5 real contenders for the Wood and then the Derby. Thoughts?

I've been on Pioneer and Haynesfield for the past couple months,don't see any reason to change.

TO TIM:

Hope that you are only joking,lol!

It's very refreshing to have such a  competition for the derby. It will be interesting to see which horses actually make the race.

For now my top picks are:

OLD FASHIONED

MIDSHIPMAN

PIONEER OF THE NILE

VINEYARD HAVEN

DESERT PARTY

FRIESAN FIRE

I  ALSO LIKE

Giant Oak, DUNKIRK,Haynesfield,and CAPTAIN CHEROKEE, but will have to see what they do by way of earnings.

I must also mention Stardom Bound.I really love this horse,at this point she's definitely one of the top three year olds out there. I'm not so sure I would run her in the derby.I would probably take the easy score in the oaks then run her back at Belmont.I'm confident she can do well in the derby, but I think her lack of early speed would really make it hard for her in a field of 20

WOW!!  To each his own,I guess.

Square Eddie wont even make the Derby,he's hurt and way behind..Hamazzing Destiny and Zensational? WHAT? Forget about it!

To the Ladies who have Evita Argentina on your list:

It's obvious You LOVE IT when a female beats males,but 2 things I must mention: 1)she isn't even being considered for the Derby whatsoever.She is strictly a late running sprinter,miler at best. 2)Stardom Bound OWNS HER,case closed.

Oh yeah,almost forgot;  Tim...lol

Look at all of that Unbridled's Song. I love it. I fell in love with Old Fashioned when I saw a pic of him a few months ago in his stall at Fair Hill and he has the most unique coloring, not really a rose grey, but you get the bearest hint of red beneath that gray. He is a very nice colt. But, there seem to be a lot of nice horses this spring. Gray seems to be the theme this year so,with a few excepsions, so, this is how my top ten would go.

1. Old Fashioned

2. Desert Party

3. General Quarters

4. Vineyard Haven

5. Dunkirk

6. Midshipman

7. Friesan Fire

8. The Pamplemousse

9. Pioneerof the Nile

10.Mr Fantasy

I Love Stardom Bound and i think she is an extremely talented filly, and yea, i think she has the stuff to beat a lot of these colts. However, losing Eight Belles the way we did last year has left a bad taste in my mouth when it comes to running fillies in the Kentucky Derby. I would rather watch her take on Rachel Alexandra and Evita Argentina in the Oaks. That will be one heck of a race.

My pick is Giank Oak

I wanted to ask the question if anyone knew what happened to Munnings?  He was high on my 2 year old list last year and so far this year, I haven't heard anything at all.  Thanks in advance!

Ok, i don't know why Dunkirk is even on the list at all. he just ran an allowance, theres plently of other horses that ran just as well in allowance races. whatever my top 10 is ;

1.Old Fashion (of course Larry Jones trained last years Kentucky oaks and trained eight belles that finished second in the derby)

2.Pioneerof the Nile (very impressive in hs last races)

3.Midshipman 9yea. won the breeders cup juvenile. but that's the only good thing about him)

4.Friesan Fire (i really liked his last race, didn't do anything wrong yet)

5.Stardom Bound (very impressive wins, very good last minute closer)

6.The Pamplemousse (don't like him that much, ran a ok race.)

7.Dunkirk (not that impressive at all just a regular contender)

8.Evita Argentina 9won against the boys impressively, needs to step up a level class though.)

9.Vineyard Haven (impressive last year, but i think he needs to grow up a little more to be a serious contender)

10.Patena (ran a good second against Friesan Fire)

:)

My Top 10 are:

1) Midshipman

2) Stardom Bound if she runs, Freisan Fire at No 2 if not

3) Friesan Fire

4) Desert Party

5) General Quarters

6) Chocolate Candy

7) Beethoven

8)Pioneer of the Nile

9) Dunkirk

10) Mr Fantasy

10) (If Stardom Bound goes for the Oaks)  Mr Hot Stuff

i just hope all the contenders stay sound and well.  That is the main thing.  It looks a particularly exciting race this year with lots of imponderables as ever!

God Bless

Best wishes

Abbie

I think Friesan Fire will be in the top 3. I think the derby winner will be grey! I started following Gomez in 1994 long before anyone knew who he was  and won alot of money using him. Now he is top dog and still riding just as well

I think you've answered your own question Ryan about the Pamplemousse.  You have high cruising speed influences from Cherokee Run which is nice but suspect at 1 1/4, with Kafain faltering along the same west coast derby preps as his son the Pamplemousse.  I see grass mile in this ones future not Kentucky Derby.  Could be this years Black Jack Road in the Santa Anita Derby. Pioneer looks to be the better bred distance runner out of these two west coast winners.

Old Fashioned is really Rockport Harbor, II. Same owner, just John Servis and Stewart Elliott. RH ran the Remsen in 148.4, 2 seconds faster than OF. Of course, he had Galloping Grocer at his neck much of the time.

The horse that will win the derby is running in the Sham on Saturday. His sire is the only back to back winner of the Breeders Cup Classic. His dam was sired by a son of the Northern Dancer and his fourth dam was sired by Triple Crown winner War Admiral.

I like Stardom Bound. Hope IEAH doesn't aim for the Oaks. But, yeah, after last year, they probably will. We lost both Winning Colors and Genuine Risk last year, too. Need another girl in the KD winners circle. Another 3 year old filly that looked good at the beginning of last summer, then dropped under my radar, is Ocean Colors. She got a shot in all this?

Other than that, the closest to a male that I am attached to (that might have a shot)is Friesan Fire.

I, too, have a feeling that the winner may still be out there. I remember that no one was checking Genuine Risk out for the Derby before her 3rd in the Wood. It isn't beyond the pale.

Folks,I think Haynesfield is underrated.If you read the comments from the assistant trainer in more than one article,he gives the impression that not even them know how good this horse is.But I dont believe them.I think he is good.I know many fans will say he is not beating body because he is racing at the Big A.But he will be your Wood winner and...one race at time.

I think Imperial Council and Dunkirk are overrated.Dunkirk ran too fast in his last race-he will bounce next out.As to Imperial Council-he needs much more seasoning.Lets see what happens next.

m palmer I do like the full brother to Colonel John in the Sham.  He ran a 135.82 with a 95 Beyer last time out against the Pamplemousse's 135.31 (96) Beyer.  He is much more likely than the Pamplemousse to get the distance but he has a lot to over come being he was still a maiden Feb 1st.  He is a safe bet in the Sham.

Best secret out there: General Quarters. He's following Barbaro's route to the Derby. He took the Sam

Davis at Tampa two ticks off stakes record and is headed for the Tampa Derby. When he wins that, it's the Blurgrass and artificial turf. He'll not handle it; be big odds at the Derby where he'll be back on dirt and "Kazzamm!" Following him: Mayor Marv and then Friesan Fire.

Here's my Derby exacta at this point: Friesan Fire and Chocolate Candy.

Square Eddie- The trainer stopped short of declaring Square Eddie out of contention for the Kentucky Derby or the major preps in the early spring.

"We're still in the game and still in the picture," he said.

On the point of Mr. Fantasy, I can definitely see the appeal. I think Haynesfield will best him, but that is my OPINION. If Mr. Fantasy wins the Gotham he heads to the short list, but for now I'll wait and see.

I don't think IEAH will take Stardom Bound to the Derby, so that is why she isn't on the list. If they do, she is one to be reckoned with, although I think Rachel Alexandra could be the best three year old filly.

Dunkirk really impressed me with that allowance win, and the hefty price tag is also a plus. The fact that he was fanned 6-7 wide on the first turn and still won going away was awesome. It was very visually impressive.

It's still very early on, and like I said the winner may not even be on the radar yet. This list is simply my opinion, you could go many different ways.

Thanks.

Nobody mentioned Charitable Man.

Ryan,

I don't think it is a joke to have Old Fashioned, Pioneer Of The Nile, Friesan Fire, or Desert Party on any top 10 list right now. All of these horses have done little wrong and deserve to be there. The others have good potential. Certainly there are others that arguably could be there but this is YOUR Top 10 and not someone elses.

I'm looking forward to the Ftn. Of Youth this weekend. In this race we have not one but two horses who have run Beyer Figs that dwarf what last years derby winner had run at this time in his career and tower over any he ran his entire career. I still have my fingers crossed that the ones who show up for the Derby this year are no where near as weak as the ones who showed up last year. There is alot of potential out there.

I agree with so many of you it is kind of redundant, but for the win, I love Old Fashioned and Patena.

Fresian Fire

Pioneer of the Nile

Desert Party

Stardom Bound

Chocolate Candy

Desert Party

I want Revenge

Midshipman and Vineyard Haven.

I know it's more than ten, and I wonder about the three coming from Dubai.

And I would like to see Larry Jones retire with a Derby win.

It just seems like such an exciting year!!

Best of luck to everyone,

S.

And I, for one, would never criticize someone else's picks. There are way too many variables on Derby Day, the crowd noise, the large field, jockey ability to get out of tight quarters, etc.

I also know too many people who won a ton of money on Lemon Drop Kid, because they liked his name.

So again, Good luck to everyone.

S.

TO RACEPOSTER:

Good point! I've said on several blogs for the past month Haynesfield has great upside. I've also asked one reader in particular how is he going to "spin it" when Haynesfield blows by everyone on Mar. 7.

I don`t think it will be whom ever is in the 1 hole. In all the yrs I have been playing horses, I have never seen the 1 hole win.

Chocolate Candy

General Quarters

Rachel Alexandra

Captain Candyman can

Mr Fantasy

Old Fashioned

Pioneer of the Nile

Desert Party

Friesan Fire

West Side bernie

Slew.em.All: we love it when a filly can run with the colts because it means good, sound breeding has produced strong athletic horses, not just colts, like in other demanding equine venues where the fillies and mares routinely compete on an even playing field as HORSES, such as 3-day eventing, quarter horse racing, 100 mile endurance riding, show jumping etc. It means the breed is healthy & strong all the way around.

Dave, I looked it up and the #1 position has won 12 times, the most of all post positions except #5 (also 12), though not in recent years... the last times being Ferdinand in '86 & Winning Colors in '88...post #4 and #10 have produced 10 winners each..

IMO fillies can run with the colts, trainers and owners these days are just to timide or worried about their reputation or money. When i say money and reputation, it's because they don't want to go and be a good sport a test the horse, they want to stay within their own comfort zone so that the horse just wins bringing in more money and giving them a good rep. What they don't understand is that by running fillies with colts and then succeeding would only enhance their reputation. Now i'm not some selfish pig who is say run these animals into the ground, i'm saying if you have the horse to do it with then run her. If The filly isn't up to it then don't. But when you look at Zen, Rachel A., and SB, these super fillies that are good enough then their connections should go for it. Last year with Eight Bells was a complete fluke, considering that no horse in the history of the Derby has ever been catastrophically injured let alone break down. In case ppl haven't notice even when you divide the horses up they still get hurt, do we like this no, but no matter what we do it's part of the game. This game needs to find a leader and voice of it's own, and stop trying to appease all ppl, because all those animal rights activist ppl will just keep pushing for more things to go until we give racing up for good. If we just organize ourselves, get some kind of stable structure, with rules, and quit worrying about what everyone else thinks we'll finally get our sport back to the golden days.

OLD FASHIONED GAL

Munning's has been working out since the middle of January every week.  Don't know when his first race will be at this time.

This is really shaping up to be an exciting year.  There's such an interesting variety of horses (and names -- like The Pamplemousse!!).

Can anyone please tell me whatever happened to Cribnote?  Was he injured?

Mike Relva... buddy !!! Haynesfield ?

I think Imperial Council sits behind a dueling Mr. Fantasy and Haynesfield and swings by them in stretch.

Mr. F and Haynesfield may surprise ppl. Both horses don't aren't need the lead type horses. We already know Haynesfield can rate, so why would his connections want to try to burn him out in a speed duel against a relitively newcomer to the trail. If i were Haynesfields connections i'd say let him stalk the pace and let Mr. F have the lead. I wouldn't let Mr. F have things his own way, i'd want him pressured enough to keep up a good pace. This should be a very interesting race, but if there is no speed duel which i don't think there will be i see Mr.F coming home in front with Haynesfield chasing gamely. Sorry Mike, lol.

BlueHen

Cribnote had 3 works in February and another on March 1.  Can't say where he'll race next.

Well,I've said all along that Mr.Fantasy and Haynesfield will run each other into the ground...Look for I Want Revenge to blow right past the field and win going away!

I'm still enamored with the Lousiana horse,Friesan Fire. I also have Old Fashioned,Patena,Beethoven and Dunkirk on my watch list.There is still a long way to go until Derby day,so it's a wait and see for the time being.I'll just continue making lists until I have it down to a solid 10 to choose from.

  Thanks for all the lists out there,guys. It's interesting to see who sees what leading up to May,and I'll continue checking back here.

Thanks, Mr. Ruffian!

I have been on Mr. Fantasy for quite awhile.After the upcoming Gotham S.,I got a feeling he will be moving up the list rapidly. He looks GOOOODDDD!!!!!

My  choice  is  Patena  at  the  top  of  the  list

I'm waiting to see who Gomez decides to ride!  Pioneer of the Nile, or Dunkirk!

It has been a long time since I have seen such a dominating victory in a horse race such as the one by The Pamplemousse. The stride of this horse was unbelieveable. He was actually speeding up from the quarter pole home with no urging. Normally the other horses are slowing down, but his was not the case. His running fractions should provide some interesting revelations. The only question is, can he handle a dirt surface? They say this horse is still improving and if that is the case hopefully he doesn't peak before the KY Derby. If he works well at Churchill Downs - Look out.

Mike

Stardom Bound

Square Eddie

Chocolate Candy

Those are my three.  

What a shame! There are no believers here in Quality Road to wear the roses on the first Saturday in May. He was drawing away from Jojo in the stretch in the Fountain of Youth. And for those of you who have their doubts about whether this particular son of Elusive Quality can get the distance, I have one question to ask you. Did you see how Quality Road galloped out after he had won the race? That may be why you're not believing. Quality Road was drawing away from the field in the stretch, and even after the finish line. He was that many lengths in front.

Just saw Fresian Fire win the Louisiana Derby, muddy track, Giant Oak and Patena behind.  Got to go with Fresian Fire.

1.  I want Revenge

2.  Friesan Fire

3.  Quality Road

4.  Pioneerof the Nile

5.  Dunkirk

6.  Old Fashioned

7.  Desert Party

8.  Regal Ransom

9.  Rachel Alexandra

10. Win Willy