Fantasy League Update: Sham Could Prove Pivotal

The 2019 Racing Dudes Triple Crown Fantasy League is officially underway! Each week, this important article will provide the standings, power rankings, and recent transactions for every league member. Not only will you see the latest claims in the league (which will show you what horses might be up-and-coming), but you will also get updates on the runners as they prepare for their next starts along the Kentucky Derby Trail. Let’s take a look at how things are shaping up after the first race of the season was completed:

Current Standings

Recent Claims

COMING SOON! Every Monday, players can put in claims for new horses. The first claiming Monday of the season will be held on January 7, 2019. Check back next week to see the first round of claims.

Power Rankings

1. Jon White/Ryan Stillman – Once again, this team starts the season at the top, but will they ever finish there? They have our number one-ranked Kentucky Derby horse, Improbable, leading a roster filled with horses who could be consistently solid points contributors.

2. Mike “Saratoga Slim” Spector – This is the first team to get on the board thanks to Mind Control winning the $150,000 Jerome Stakes on New Year’s Day at Aqueduct. This team’s main hope for winning most likely rests on the shoulders of Instagrand, who is back in training at Santa Anita.

3. Jared Welch – The defending champion starts the year ranked third despite having the 10th pick of the draft’s first round. This team already had a great start to the league when the 11th overall pick, Gun It, broke his maiden in style at Fair Grounds. This team deserves respect after coming off of a Triple Crown-winning effort last season.

4. Patrick “Mad Dog” Meagher – This is the only team that could not attend the live draft; however, he still came away with a solid team. He has four established horses, plus the unraced Elvis, who could be sneaky.

5. Aaron Halterman – Much like last year, this team is full of average horses and really needs Gunmetal Gray to establish himself as a top-class horse this weekend in the Grade 3 Sham Stakes.

6. The Magic Mike Team – Bad news struck the morning after the draft when the connections for this team’s top pick, Mucho, hinted that he might not attempt the Kentucky Derby Trail. There is still plenty of time to turn things around, though, and this team has an interesting cast of up-and-comers.

7. Paul “Free Beers” Withrow – This team did not get off to the best of starts when Super Steed was a disappointing fourth in the $50,000 Sugar Bowl Stakes at Fair Grounds. Having the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile champion Game Winner on the roster is good news, though.

8. Brandon “B$” Bauer – It all starts for this team with Coliseum this weekend when he looks to win the Sham. This horse could be a monster for trainer Bob Baffert, having dominated maiden special weight company on debut at Del Mar.

9. Dan “Wise Dan” Waite – Last year, this team was a well-beaten last, thus the low start in this year’s power rankings. We will see if “The Fan Man” truly can turn into “Wise Dan.” For the second year in a row, Dan claimed the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes winner, but hopefully Maximus Mischief works out better for him on the Kentucky Derby Trail than Catholic Boy did.

10. The Fans: Austin and Bones – The fans certainly did their homework for the draft, but they did draft some horses who haven’t been seen in a while. This team’s main target seems to be the Group 1 UAE Derby because they drafted the race’s early favorite, Royal Marine.