141st Kentucky Derby Top 20 List

With the Kentucky Derby 95 days away, and the prep races well under way, it is time for my first Kentucky Derby top 20 list. An impressive list of three year old colts are being point to the First Saturday in May, led by 2014 Breeders Cup Juvenile (GI) winner Texas Red, American Pharaoh the Eclipse Award champion, and Upstart a very impressive winner this past weekend, and the undefeated Dortmund. Read below to know my Top 20 horses for the 141st running of the Kentucky Derby.

1. Texas Red- Won the biggest race for 2yo's in 2014 in impressive fashion, love how he covers the ground. The way he dominated last out indicates he is a special colt.

2. Imperia- Fired a strong second in his first try on dirt in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stk (GII) at Churchill Downs. He really should only improve with added dirt experience, and is certainly bred well enough.

3. Upstart- Talented colt could not have been more impressive in saturday's Holy Bull (GII) at Gulfstream Park. He should only improve off that effort and will be extremely dangerous down the road.

4. Dortmund- This undefeated colt for trainer Bob Baffert has done nothing wrong to this point. I am just skeptical of the quality of the Los Alamitos Futurity, in which he needed everything he had to win.

5. Frosted- Stablemate of Imperia has strung together two solid second place finishes in graded company in his last two outings. I believe he is extremely talented and is capable against any of these.

6. American Pharaoh- The 2yo Eclipse Award champion is just getting underway after an injury knocked him out of the Breeders Cup. He would be much higher on this list if not for the injury.

7. Carpe Diem- This horse did not have an easy trip in the Breeders Cup Juvenile (GI) as one of the favorites. He has proven he is talented and this Grade 1 winner is still very much a contender.

8. Calculator- This colt broke his maiden in a stakes race last time out in the Sham Stakes (G3) impressively at Santa Anita. Prior to that he chased American Pharoah and Texas Red around but seemed matured and improved last time out against a relatively weak field.

9. El Kabeir- This John Terranova trainee has improved in his last two winning the Grade II Kentucky Jockey Club Stk. as Churchill and followed that performance up by dominating a weak field in the GII Jerome at Aqueduct. Defeated #2 Imperia at Churchill, but believe it was biased aided.

10. Firing Line- Was just beaten by Dortmund in the Los Alamitos Futurity (GI), and was arguably better. I do want to see him repeat that effort, but he could quickly rise up with a good effort.

11. Leave the Light On
12. Daredevil
13. International Star
14. Mr. Z
15. Far Right
16. Tiznow R J
17. Competitive Edge
18. J S Bach
19. Ocho Ocho Ocho
20. Bluegrass Singer

Weekend Stakes Races 9/29-30/12

This weekend in horse racing has major implications for this years Breeders Cup. Belmont Park hosts "Super Saturday". Belmont's card could not be higher quality. The purses are high, the fields are big, and the feature The GI Jockey Club Gold Cup features six Grade I winners. On the other coast Santa Anita hosts its huge pre- Breeders Cup day. Between Santa Anita and Belmont Park there will be a total of 14 graded stakes races. My selections for Belmont, Santa Anita, and Remington Park which hosts the Oklahoma Derby are below.

Belmont Park
Saturday

Race 5 GI Beldame Invitational $400,000
1. It's Tricky
2. Royal Delta
3. Cash for Clunkers

Race 6 GII Kelso Handicap $400,000
1. Tapizar
2. To Honor and Serve
3. Shackleford

Race 7 GI  Vosburgh Invitational $400,000
1. Sean Avery
2. Rothko
3. Fort Loudon

Race 8 GI Flower Bowl Invitational $600,000
1. Nahrain
2. Hessonite
3. Zagora

Race 9 GI Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational $600,000
1. Point of Entry
2. Finnegans Wake
3. Little Mike

Race 10 GI Jockey Club Gold Cup Invitational Stakes $1,000,000
1. Hymm Book
2. Ron the Greek
3. Fort Larned

Sunday
Race 7 GII Matron Stakes $200,000
1. Kauai Kate
2. Unabashed
3. Seasoned Warrior

Race 9 GII Futurity Stakes $200,000
1. Carried Interest
2. Overanalyze
3. Handsome Jack

Santa Anita
Saturday

Race 6 GI Chandelier Stakes $250,000
1. Executiveprivilege
2. Beholder
3. Scarlet Strike

Race 7 GI FrontRunner Stakes $250,000
1. Know More
2. Power Broker
3. Capo Bastone

Race 8 GI Zenyatta Stakes $250,000
1. Include Me Out
2. Via Villagio
3. Amani

Race 9 GI Rodeo Drive Stakes $250,000
1. Marketing Mix
2. Nereid
3. City to City

Race 10 GI Awesome Again Stakes $250,000
1. Game on Dude
2. Suggestive Boy
3. Richard's Kid

Sunday
Race 9 GII John Henry Turf Championship $150,000
1. Slim Shadey
2. Turbo Compressor
3. Bourbon Bay

Remington Park
Saturday

Race 9 Oklahoma Derby $400,000
1. Daddy Nose Best
2. Called to Serve
3. Speightscity

Weekend Stakes Races 8/18-19/2012

This weekend features major racing from Arlington Park, Del Mar, Saratoga, Monmouth, and Woodbine. The spotlight will be on Arlington Park which hosts the GI Arlington Million  as well as two other Grade I's and the new American St. Leger Stakes. Saratoga has two Grade I's on Saturday the Sword Dancer Invitational as well as the Alabama Stakes, and both are loaded with talent. Del Mar has graded stakes action on Saturday and Sunday including the GI Del Mar Oaks. Last but not least, Woodbine and Monmouth host very competitive grade II's.

Arlington Park

Saturday

American St. Leger Stakes $400,000
1. Jakkalberry
2. Lake Drop
3. Suntracer

GI Secretariat Stakes $500,000
1. Daddy Long Legs
2. Silver Max
3. Bayrir

Daddy Long Legs is my selection to dethrone Silver Max Saturday. Daddy Long Legs showed in the UAE Derby he runs well fresh. He should not have an issue with the distance and will put pace pressure on Silver Max, leading me to believe he wears Silver Max down in the final eighth of a mile.

GI Beverly D. Stakes $750,000
1. Aruna
2. I'm A Dreamer
3. Mystical Star

I believe Aruna was better than Mystical Star last time out as she was very wide. With a better trip and staying a little closer to the pace Aruna will not allow Mystical Star to get the jump. The distance is perfect for Aruna. I'm A Dreamer is the biggest threat she seems to fire every time and that gives her a great chance to hit the board.  

GI Arlington Million Stakes $1,000,000
1. Crackerjack King
2. Boisterous
3. Afsare

Crackerjack King ran into some of the best horses Europe has to offer last time out at Sandown. He ran into Nathaniel, and Farhh. Farhh returned to run second to the best horse in the world, Frankel. Prior to that effort Crackerjack King was a Grade I winner in Italy. The Arlington Million provides class relief for Crackerjack King as Nathaniel, Farhh, amd Twice Over would be odds on in this race if they were to run. Crackerjack King gets the relief on Saturday and will establish his dominance in his American debut. Boisterous is the best of the American horses. He will not be good enough to win but he always fires, and I look for him to hit the board.

Del Mar
Saturday

GI Del Mar Oaks $300,000
1. Lady of Shamrock
2. My Gi Gi
3. Eden's Moon

Sunday

GIII Rancho Bernardo Handicap $150,000
1. Winding Way
2. Sugarinthemorning
3. Rumor

Saratoga

Saturday

GI Sword Dancer Invitational Stakes $600,000
1. Point of Entry
2. Brilliant Speed
3. Center Divider

GI Alabama Stakes $600,000
1.Questing
2. Grace Hall
3. Sea Island

This was the hardest race of the weekend to handicap. Many of the fillies in this race are evenly matched, but the major difference is no can put pressure on Questing early. Questing is 2 for 2 since Kiaran Mclaughin has put her on dirt. She went gate to wire last time out in the Coaching Club American Oaks and I look for her to repeat that effort. Based on their prior races the rest of the field does not have the speed to put pressure on Questing. Grace Hall is very talented and I look her for to chase Questing all the way around and run a very solid second. Sea Island could improve the most with the stretch out in distance and I look for her to be a factor late.

Sunday
GII Woodford Reserve Lake Placid Stakes $200,000
1. Stephanie's Kitten
2. Better Lucky
3. Somali Lemonade

Monmouth Park
Saturday
GIII Phillip Iselin Stakes $150,000
1. Toby's Corner
2. San Pablo
3. Gourmet Dinner

Woodbine
Sunday

GII Sky Classic Stakes $250,000
1. Pender Harbour
2. Smart Bid
3. Forte Dei Marmi