Add tomicito to your list. Let the games begin....

I think a lot will be answered when Big Brown and Visionaire run again..... Tale of Ekati may still be heard from as well.  Big Brown could change everything in 12 days.

It sure looks pretty wide open, and the upcoming G1 preps will either sort things out or bring even more chaos.

I'm still banking on a major statement from Denis of Cork in his next.  Note that two horses that he inhaled in the Southwest at Oaklawn brought home stakes wins over the weekend.

Do not count out War Pass. Remember, Secretariat lost the Wood Memorial and looked dull doing it. War Pass needed this lose and rough trip. He should still be reguarded as the one to beat. Last year Street Sense lost his race before the Derby. Now War Pass and his jockey can proceed without that added burden of the undefeated. If he is sound watch him bounce.

Jason, apart from Pyro, there is no difference in your "standouts, "prove mores" or "thread hangers" lists, except for Yankee Bravo, who is 3 for 4 with a very creditable 3rd place finish to Pyro.

(slow) Beyers, Pliers. Watch the tape. He closed from dead last stoutly, then ran greenly in the stretch, letting Pyro get away from him in his last race, yet was closing strongly at the end.

His dad says he can win on "real" earth. Maybe not in California but he'll be burning up the Churchill Downs stretch like Gaicomo.

Pyromaniacs unite! The big, bad, wolf has been momentarily sidelined after a performance that was as shaky as Manny the Maitre D's hands.

I am waiting to see how Elysium Fields does in the Florida Derby.

Everybody who loves all this Derby buzz should watch the flick "For Your Consideration". It spoofs the Academy Award process and all horse fans will see similarities between that and the way all these Derby watches are going.

I totally agree with Buddy about War Pass. Six decisive wins and one loss is just what it is. We'll draw a line through the bad race and hopefully move forward.  Secretariat's loss in the Wood was mentioned, and that was caused by physical malady which can stop the momentum of a great horse, let along a lesser one. The setback didn't stop Secretariat, and it may very well be that War Pass won't be stopped either and re-emerge as an even better horse.

I'm happy to see some of the California horses doing so well, and I've got Georgie Boy at the top of the California contingent; however, War Pass is still "my" horse and if he bounces back from the Tampa Bay nightmare, and if Big Brown runs huge in the Florida Derby, I'm looking for these two to decide the KY Derby outcome.

Look West young man!! Georgie Boy had a perfect prep in the San Felipe--he was fresh but allowed the rating, and really responded with a 1/4 mile kick---normally, I'd say go staight up to the Derby, but he needs another--he's still very fresh--as is Pryo, but Georgie just looks the part of a good one, and remember: the Del Mar track was a tiring one last year, and he beat a large field in the Futurity---me thinks this one is the horse to beat in first Sat in May.....

Georgie Boy...the last 1/16 in 6 seconds, had some traffic problems, had some difficulty switching leads, had a new jockey, had to overcome the world record holder at 6 furlongs. He by far had the best test of the weekend. Go for the underdog!  Cal bred gelding trained by a 36 year vetran of the "bush tracks" like Grant's Pass.  

I think that most of the west coast poly horses are distance challenged perhaps with the exception of Yankee Bravo and maybe Sierra Sunset. San Felipe was run like a Euro turf race where they walked around for most of the race and then quickened down the lane. The world record holder from when SA was being run on concrete was about 30 or so lengths slower after 3/4 mile in Saturday`s race. At best I look for them to make 6 furlong moves when they finally go on dirt and then spit the bit. I haven`t bet the favorite in the Kentucky Derby in years, but Pyro looks much the best to date.

Seing war pass lose for the firt time was kind of sad, but it was coming sooner or later. now is time to move foward. i still think he is dangerous. i was in the aqueduct track when big truck lost to court vision and i think everybody is just making this bid deal. he is going to lose in florida derby. the one to worry about is tomcito everybody is overlooking him and the way that field is shaping is calling for an upset.

Odds are the best suggestion that to expect the unexpected is a sound logic for Thoroughbred Racing. More often than not favorites do get beat.

When a 1-9 favorite finishes last, the odds on the winner are just reward.

War Pass is an exceptional colt. History is full of special three year olds who must compete for their respective one opportunity to win the Kentucky Derby. Of this crop there will only be one.

There has yet to be a dead heat in the Derby. Consider that possibilty

Remember this... Pyro is a closer and in his last two races he has had to close off a very slow pace...pace will not be an issue in the Derby!

Betting on War Pass in the Derby is nuts ... that horse had a clunker that you do not come back from in less than 60 days.

California breds... please just stop it. Smittytoo is right they will spit the bit.  

If Pyro runs another sub 100 Beyer in his next race it is time to jump off him too.  He needs to post something over 100 or forget it.

I am waiting on 3 things...1) Will Big Brown win by 6 in Florida like I think he will. 2) Will Tale of Ekati bounce back and pull off a sharp win or close second? 3) Will Visionaire close strong to win again? If he does is he then the favorite?

well, tale of ekati is a lost case so don't even bother with him. he wont win any of the triple crown races. as for visionaire, he is progressing but will not win the derby everybody want a repeat of the barbaro thing for matz but not happening. while big brown, if he wins this one he could be very dangerous, but i could see him winning the preakness or the belmont. the one that i like besides pyro and war pass is blackberry road. i think his been sitting in a big race and also court vision, i will even go atoned.

More fun indeed! Liked Georgie Boy's run. Hope he goes to Arkansas. Big Brown looked gangly and green, quarter cracks are a potential problem. wish they would keep him on the grass with the virginia derby as the major goal

Well..as we found out,War Pass quit when he didn't get his customary easy lead, but he deserves a mulligan,as does anyone else. But, I still highly doubt that he's a Classic type horse. As for Visionaire,Tale of Ekati,Blackbery Road & Court Vision: Pyro has already man-handled them, so I can't see them turning the tables any time soon. And don't underestimate the Cali horses, mainly Col.John. I'm waitng hear about Majestic Warrior and his next prep race, he's a very talented horse and should be peaking at the right time.The Bluegrass should be a very good race,with Pyro & Cool Coal Man involved, along with what I suspect will be a deep field. But,Pyro is simply in another league right now..final times don't mean diddly at this point,if Pyro has had slow rated wins,t hen how much"slower" are the aforementioned pretenders mentioned above.?Big Brown ,he has to tussle with the next level of horse-flesh to be taken seriously. There's still one more round of Derby preps to be had,so remember,we want "our" horse to be at his prime for the Big Dance. My picks are Pyro, Majestic Warrior & Cool Coal Man.

Why throw Tale of Ekati out the window? He got pinched back and has only run one race as a 3 year old...if he bounces back with a win or a strong second watch out!

Blackberry Road ?????  How many times does this horse have to get his brains beat in for people to get off this horse ???? He has run 9 races and has not posted anything better than a 90 Beyer!!!

Blackberry Road is not a graded stakes horse period... Visionaire won his second try at 2 turns...if he keeps improving he may win his 3 and 4th try.

War Pass was apparently healthy going into the Tampa Bay and hopefully can bounce back in the Wood.

In the meantime, Big Brown can take a quantum leap forward in the Florida Derby (gr.1), unless Tomcito has something to say about it. This is a horse with credentials, and he should give Big Brown a real test.

Isn't this fun?!! What makes the Kentucky Derby the most exciting race of the year every year is the runup to the big day. There are still so many questions to be answered. One thing for sure is that the Derby is almost always won by the best horse that day and not the best horse overall. Foundation, preperation, an uninterupted schedule leading up to the race, a horses ability to handle the crowd and hype, and of course track condition the day of the race all play huge roles in the outcome. After all these are only 3 yr. olds who mature at their own rate. There are some up and coming sophomores who may end up playing a major role in this years edition and I do think that Pyro has to run faster if he is going to win. He has run against a slow pace both times this year and will see a much faster one in the Derby which should benefit him. That being said I like the way he was handled in his last outing staying closer to the pace and showing that he can make more than one move in a race. One thing I have to say to Timely writer 2 is if your money is on Yankee Boy come the big day you had better hope he runs faster than Gaicomo who was not flying down the lane but simply was not going as slow as the others which allowed him to catch the rest just in time. I have made a lot of money betting against Gaicomo after his Derby win. Let's sit back and enjoy the rest of the preps and see which horses continue to hold form or continue to move forward and who train up to the Derby best.

Both Georgie Boy and Pyro have only put in 1/4 mile drives thus far---much less than Dennis of Cork's 5/8's---but to dismiss the "poly trackers" would be dismissing the entire West Coast---yes, Santa Anita plays like a turf course, but Georgie Boy has been answering the questions throught his brief career with a resounding "YES"!!!! the obscure connections add to the intrigue--(yes, I've been to Grants Pass) but this is a willing horse with "a look" about him--whether or not he'll have that look in the Churchill stretch remains to be seen......

As everyone knows the Kentucky Derby is typically won by a good horse (yes even Giacomo had minor talent) who stays out of traffic or can overcome adversity (like Alysheba going to his knees at the start).  Unidimensional speed types like War Pass usually get torched by the 44 second half mile drag race (complete with Jockeys from Mountaineer Park) and closers have to go 10 wide into the stretch.  If they limited the field to 10 rather than the traditional 19-20 horses we could actually handicap the race.  I don't think the San Felipe can be dismissed due to the Polytrack but I'm not sure if the race carries the same tradition as it did for previous winners such as Sunday Silence and Affirmed.  If Georgie Boy picks up the Santa Anita Derby he deserves to go into the Derby as one of the favorites.  It has all the makings of a Sunday Silence vs. Easy Goer. Cal Bred (20,000 yearling?) vs. The Breeder's Cup Champion. Although Kathy Walsh is older, she probably can't be compared to "The Bald Eagle."  

i don't see any california bred winning this year derby, i could see them winning the breeders cup classic. as for blackberry road, he is going to show up in the derby and he is going to be one three fighting for the win at the end, you just know that. majestic warrior was my horse going to the breeders cup juvenile but the injury took him out and i think he is not the same. my choices pyro, war pass, court vision and blackberry road. what about horse that we haven't seen like kodia kowboy? i think he will at least be third in the derby and wicket style.

I think Majestic Warrior rebounds in a big way next out but may be running out of time for the Derby.

Then again if Mott decides to  give it a go who am I to say no. Watch out if it is an off track - his momma was a mud freak!!!  Like to see Eight Belles try the boys in Arkansas Derby, she couldn't have been more impressive last out, is fresh and likes the track. Why not? Pyro has been the only horse true to form and on the mark in every scheduled work out & race. Plan has been working to a "T" so far. Looks like a pro but needs to be a bit faster to convince me especially as "The" favorite. Reminds me of Thunder Gulch a bit except he will not be 25-1 in Derby no matter what he does in the Bluegrass...Big Brown -Quarter Crack issues on a freakishly talented colt - can you say Unbridled's Song? May win Fla Derby but I'm a bit worried about Derby chances... Well, here's the early bird special superfecta:

Majestic Warrior-Eight Belles-Pyro-Court Vision

box it for those less daring!

Just because War Pass lost one race doesnt mean he cant win the Derby.  All that does is shake up the handicappers and drives the odds.  I am still believe War Pass is the one to beat, but if not lets take a look at TOMICITO.....

Let me see if I have this right.... War Pass comes in last and your ready to believe he will just turn it around against the toughest in the land in 6 short weeks?  Good Luck... Tomicito ??? you mean the horse from South America running against inferior horses... come on you can do better than that.

War Pass was intimidated by the two horses next to him. After being pinched at the break he had a chance to split those two on the backstretch however he backed down and quit. I believe he showed fear and that will always be with him.  He gave us a great run.  But his best is behind him.

war pass is not done, not at least after the wood memorial race, if he rebounds and wins he is going to go up as a favorite again. its good that the wood field is getting better competetion like denis of cork and court vision so we could see what he is capable of. remember he beat the best in his last two races in his 2yrs old form. tomcito is a good horse that people are overlooking like they did with canonero 2 in the 70's and like invasor watch everybody get stunned when he wins the florida derby.

Atoned is a horse to watch for. He's got the breeding, the stamina. Just wait and see.

We need a star other than Pyro to make this interesting and I have my money on Big Brown and Visionaire to do just that. This year pales in comparison to last year when you had the big 3...  Curlin, Hard Spun, and Street Sense.  No horse has come out and put up some serious Beyer figures like last year heading into the Derby.  Look for Big Brown to dominate and Visionaire to come of age !!!

I look for War Pass to rebound nicely in the Wood. I'm also looking for Big Brown and Tomcito to finish a close 1-2 in the Florida Derby (not necessarily in that order). If all this happens, these are the "big three." Pyro can move over.

Last year only one horse put up a 103 as a three year old coming into the derby and that was Curlin.  All the others were lower with the second best being Street Sense and Circular Quay with 102 Beyer figs. I always look at the Beyers as a guide and usually Derby winners put up a 103 or higher as a three year old. In the last 15 years I believe only three Derby winners were exceptions to this rule: Sea Hero, Charismatic and Giacomo.

I've read some of the stupid comments. My reaction is that the so called experts need only to remember that War Pass had won 5 in a row up until his last race and had beaten Pyro 3 times! One loss won't define his career.

NUMAANY will win the Kentucky Derby.

I think War Pass will disappoint again in his final prep in the Wood and wont even make the Derby starting gate.  Pyro looks impressive in his wins but so do maiden 25's at Calder during the summer. He is slow and appears too lightly framed to win the Derby. My point is that this Derby will be won by a late bloomer.  Elysium Fields, Big Brown, or Tomcito will take the Forida Derby and will compete against Visionaire, Cool Coal Man, and Big Truck down the stretch in the Derby...3-1 on the field in Derby futures pool #1 is looking as juicy as 3-1 will ever look to a gambler.

Just watch out for Pyro in the Derby.  Bred for the distance, trained correctly by Asmussen, and unlike War Pass, he's had dirt kicked in his face and has won.  With the size of the Derby field you need "turn of foot", and he has that and more and is maturing at the right time. But if War Pass gets the lead and can stay in front . . . he'll be somewhere in the top three. So, for the Derby, I normally pick a "mid pack" specialist to win, and hedge my bets with a speedster as well as a "come from behind" horse.  So the top three will be Pyro, War Pass, Cool Coal Man and maybe Visionaire.  I'll be at the Wood on April 5 to get a good look at War Pass.  Anyone remember Bellamy Road?  We'll get to see what happens or who falls apart in the next few weeks.  That's horseracing!

War Pass never got in front of an 80-1 Tampa Bay runner the entire race. Yes it's just one race but it could not have been a worse one. Even if he would have won there are numerous concerns about him. Wouldn't play him with monopoly money.

So far almost all the horses have been picked to win the Derby. Only one guy made a good point about the Beyer rating. I am waiting on the results of the Florida Derby and the Wood memorial to pick the winner and the way I see it this is to me, my easiest Derby winner to pick.

Colonel John !!!  He has been trained perfecly by Eoin Harty and will run a great race in the Santa Anita Derby.  We have not seen his best, as yet.

Pyro ran the same day as Grasshopper/Circular Quay----his time factored poorly for me---some 10 lengths behind the older horses and that is not acceptable----Georgie Boy runs like a turf horse, on a track that plays like a turf course, and now he has a turf jock---I can see changing jocks but maybe for Gomez, or Bejarano---Michael Baze was stuck inside, kinda forced his way out, (thought he could've been dq'd), and maybe he didn't pull him up soon enough---I think Baze pulled him out to herky/jerky, and Kent D., aka "The Brain", can rate a stalking position and if Georgie gets the distance, goodby---'think he'll win SA Derby by at least two.....

I like Yankee Bravo to burst the SA bubble and cruise down the stretch.

What is it going to look like when Big Brown and War Pass hook up on the lead in the Derby?  This race is setting up for a closer to win on the first Sat. in May.

Maybe you have not seen Big Browns other races but he likes to rate and he only took the lead at the Florida Derby because he had to from the 12 post or get stuck wide.

Big Brown wins the Derby by 7 rating off of War Pass.  No other horse has a shot...game over Big Brown is just too good.

Big Brown's pace and finishing kick reminds me of Barbaro and War Pass' speed and tenacity reminds me of Spend-A-Buck. Assuming that both of them make it to the starting gate, we are in for a thrilling 2008 Kentucky Derby.  Pyro should be closing at respectable distance behind these principals.  

Kathy Walsh needs to put G. Gomez back on Georgie Boy. Kent D is going to the Derby with Big Brown.

Yankee Bravo is a good pick for the SA Derby but I worry about the "Storm Cat" KY Derby Jinx.  He was only 3 off of Pyro in what looked to be his best race so far. He finished strong that day so adding 1/16 of a mile is great.  Another 16th and he could have caught Pyro. He was pretty far back. If he wins the SA Derby it would have the look of a horse peaking at the right time. Colonel John looks like his main rival.  El Gato Malo translates to "This Cat won't run this far."

Yankee Bravo's 4th place finish the the SA Derby certainly did not legitimize or bolster Pyro's LaDerby performance. Colonel John looks to have the right breeding where War Pass can't seem to get the classic distances.  Bob Black Jack adds a new dimension and could be this years Hard Spun.  If he goes to the KY Derby Hard Spun will never get in front of him.  As for the Kentucky Derby...my advice is to look west.  I'm looking forward to another $35,000 superfecta the first saturday in May.