Racing Dudes Fantasy League Update: A Big Week for Free Beers

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 check out all the latest transactions and scoring updates:

Current Standings

Recent Claims

There are four claims to announce this week:

• In a two-way shake: Jared claimed Intrepid Heart and dropped Kentucky Wildcat
• The Fans claimed Sueno and dropped Lookin At Bikinis 
• The Fans claimed Tax and dropped Big Scott Daddy
• Jon and Ryan claimed Omaha Beach and dropped Network Effect 

Power Rankings

1. Jon White/Ryan Stillman – Right now, Jon and Ryan are the even-money favorites to win this year. War of Will took care of business in the Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes, plus Hidden Scroll and Improbable appear ready to fire big in March. They also claimed Omaha Beach, who could be a rising star, while dropping the injured Network Effect.

2. Paul “Free Beers” Withrow – What a week for Free Beers! Last week, he was eighth in the Power Rankings, but now, he finds himself all the way up to second. It started when Anothertwistafate dominated the El Camino Real Derby and continued when Super Steed stole the show at 63/1 in the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes. To add to his amazing week, the recently-claimed Roadster sizzled in a workout at Santa Anita.

3. Aaron Halterman – The team full of average horses continued its average run to eventual mediocrity. As has been the case since Day 1, this team lacks a star horse, which will eventually leave him out of his current first-place spot in the points standings. Mucho Gusto seems to be the main hope for continued success; however, he is probably Baffert’s third-string horse.

4. Jared Welch – It was another solid, but not great, week for the defending champion. He continues to linger around the top of the points standings, but he still seems to lack a true star. Country House was a strong second in the Risen Star, which was good, but Gun It and Gray Attempt were not so good. Jared did win a two-way shake for Intrepid Heart, who was an impressive debut winner at Oaklawn Park on Monday, so at least there’s that.

5. Mike “Saratoga Slim” Spector – It was a decent weekend for Slim when Kingly stayed on for second in the El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate. However, he didn’t run a race that gets you excited moving forward. The hope continues to ride on Instagrand. If he comes back strong, then Slim will be in great shape. If not, then he will be in trouble.

6. Brandon “B$” Bauer – As soon as Galilean hit the wire first on Monday, this team got a much-needed shot in the arm. His performance in the California Cup Derby was extremely impressive and earned him a shot at a Kentucky Derby prep race next. Between he and Global Campaign, this team has two exciting horses heading into March.

7. Patrick “Mad Dog” Meagher – This team is still in a holding period with the big horses getting ready to show their stuff in March. His conservative approach to the claims have him in a pretty good spot points-wise, but there is no doubt that this next month will make or break.

8. Dan “Wise Dan” Waite – The Mr. Money re-claim experiment blew up in Dan’s face after he was a non-factor in the Risen Star. This team is still in decent shape, though, as Bourbon War, Win Win Win, and Nolo Contesto all have solid potential. We’ll see what March will bring.

9. The Magic Mike Show – After a poor showing in the Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes, this team is in major trouble. At this point, they have to pray that the Bill Mott-trained Mucho somehow makes it to a Kentucky Derby prep race or that Walking Thunder rebounds in time to win the Group 2 UAE Derby in Dubai. It’s a tough go for The Magic Mike Show.

10. The Fans: Austin and Bones – In a risky move, The Fans made two claims this week, dropping them well behind the rest of the field points-wise. However, they do find themselves with two horses who had success in prep races, Sueno and Tax, which is a vast improvement. Simply put, this team needs some success to come its way soon.