Fantasy League Update: Final Kentucky Derby Preps Set for this Weekend

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 (G1) Trail.

Let’s check out all the latest transactions and scoring updates with three major Kentucky Derby prep races on the schedule for Saturday:

Current Standings

Recent Claims

• None to report this week

Power Rankings

The “Power Rankings” feature teams’ odds to win the contest, as well as an update on every horse on a team. Here we go:

1. Jon White/Ryan Stillman (6/5) 

• Rock Your World – Wow, not only does this team draft extremely well, but they also claim well. This horse looked great in his dirt debut, winning the Santa Anita Derby (G1).
• Roman Centurian – He was a late scratch from the Santa Anita Derby (G1) but has apparently recovered well enough to run this weekend in the Arkansas Derby (G1).
• Known Agenda – Boom! This questionable claim (at the time) showed the class of this team’s managers when he took home the Florida Derby (G1).
• Concert Tour – He looked like a monster in his Rebel Stakes (G2) romp and is now the clear top runner from his barn. We’ll see him back at Oaklawn Park for this weekend’s Arkansas Derby (G1).
• Dream Shake – This recent claim turned out ok as he was a decent third in the San Felipe Stakes (G2) and Santa Anita Derby (G1).

2. Jared Welch (3/1) 

• Highly Motivated – This horse showed huge improvement and nearly upset the Blue Grass Stakes (G2).
• Hot Rod Charlie – Boom, this team got a much-needed big victory in the Louisiana Derby (G2). He earned a 99 Beyer Speed Figure that ranks right up there with the top horses in the crop.
• Ghazaaly – He broke his maiden at Keeneland, which might lead to a stakes race of some sort for his next start.
• Donegal Bay – No way around it, he’s just awful. 
• Class Reunion – The filly put up a poor effort last time out in a maiden special weight at Oaklawn Park.

3. Dan Waite and Michael Myers (5/1) 

• Essential Quality – He’s become the stud that this team needed, with his latest victory coming in the Blue Grass Stakes (G2).
• Nicky the Vest – Yikes, this newest claim is injured and won’t be heard from for a while.
• Team Merchants – The Nyquist colt was impressive when breaking his maiden and finally had his first 2021 workout on March 6! We don’t know when we’ll see him next, though.
• Wolfie’s Dynaghost – He’s back on the work tab! Let’s see if he can make a race before the league ends.
• Drain the Clock – This horse is fantastic around one turn, which he showed winning the Bay Shore Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct.

4. Real Dynasty (8/1)

• Keepmeinmind – He just hasn’t looked like the same horse in 2021.
• Helium – This solid claim pulled off a 16/1 upset in the Tampa Bay Derby (G2) and will train up to the Kentucky Derby.
• Soup and Sandwich – This team pulled off two of the best claims all year. Helium won at Tampa and this horse finished second in the Florida Derby (G1). Pretty good for two horses who were not on any other team’s radar.
• Weyburn – He wasn’t awful in the Wood Memorial (G2), finishing fourth, but he wasn’t nearly as good as this team had hoped.
• Proxy – This guy has proven to be very valuable in the league but is also very frustrating. He just can’t seem to get the job done.

5. Paul “Free Beers” Withrow (10/1)

• Brooklyn Strong – The Remsen Stakes (G2) winner did not return well in the Wood Memorial (G2), where he never made an impact.
• Promise Keeper – This recent claim did very little running in the Tampa Bay Derby (G3).
• Medina Spirit – He showed up with yet another solid effort, finishing second in the Santa Anita Derby (G1).
• Triple Tap – He won his debut impressively but was very late onto the scene. Did he start too late?
• Prevalence – The overhyped up-and-comer did very little running in his stakes debut, finishing off the board in the Wood Memorial (G2).

6. Austin Elsey/Steve “Evil Steveil” Ronchetto (12/1) 

• Classier – This Bob Baffert trainee was impressive on debut but hasn’t worked since 11/28. 
• Spielberg – He’s a very inconsistent horse who was nowhere to be found in the Florida Derby (G1).
• Freedom Fighter – Yikes, his stretch out to a one-turn mile in the Gotham Stakes (G3) did not go well. 
• Greatest Honour – He ran well but could do no better than third in the Florida Derby (G1).
• Manor House – He was beyond bad in a Fair Grounds allowance in his last start.

7. The Killer Bs (15/1)

• Mandaloun – Wow, he just didn’t show up at all in the Louisiana Derby (G2). Who knows what happened, but he’s reportedly going to keep aiming for the main event.
• The Great One – He should be named The Not Great One after his dud in the Santa Anita Derby (G1).
• Get Her Number – Yet another horse who had all kinds of trouble in the Rebel Stakes (G2), he’s headed to Oaklawn Park for the Arkansas Derby (G1) this weekend.
• Lemon Pop – This Japanese runner turned heads with a solid win in the Cattleya at Tokyo Racecourse last November, but we never heard from him again.
• Nova Rags – He was decent in the Florida Derby (G1) but just wasn’t quite good enough to hit the board.

8. Mike “Saratoga Slim” Spector (30/1)

• Speaker’s Corner – This Bill Mott trainee looked great last year, beating two horses who have since won impressively. He’s getting going late in the game, but at least he’s back working out. 
• Caddo River – Oh boy, his Rebel Stakes (G2) effort as the 6/5 favorite was not good at all. Can he rebound this weekend in the Arkansas Derby (G1)?
• Savile Row – He’s back on the work tab! Can he make a race before the league ends?
• Risk Taking – Yikes, he did not run well at all in the Wood Memorial (G2).
• Candy Man Rocket – Another yikes, he was beyond bad in the Wood Memorial (G2).

9. Aaron Halterman (50/1)

• Collaborate – He wasn’t great in the Florida Derby (G1), officially ending any chance this team has of making an impact on this league.
• Jackie’s Warrior – He’s officially cutting back to one-turn races after a poor effort in the Southwest Stakes (G3).
• Parnelli – He sucked once again in the Santa Anita Derby (G1). Big Surprise.
• Whiskey Double – This sprinter isn’t bad, but he won’t be of much help to his shitty team when it comes to the league.
• Rombauer – The lone bright spot for the defending championship team ran well to finish third in the Blue Grass Stakes (G2).

10. The Magic Mike Show (50/1) 

• Prime Factor – Wow, turns out this highly-hyped first-round pick is just terrible.
• Easy Time – He switched to turf and nearly won last time out against allowance company. 
• Starrininmydreams – There’s no way around it, he was horrible in both stakes efforts at Fair Grounds. He’ll try again this weekend in the Lexington Stakes (G3).
• Regular Guy – He’s just awful, no matter the surface.
• Midnight Bourbon – This consistent early-season claim ran well yet again in the Louisiana Derby (G2), finishing second.