Fantasy League Update: Jon and Ryan Take Preakness Stakes

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 can now see how each horse is progressing as we move to the final points race of the season, the Belmont Stakes (G1). Let’s check out the latest updates:

Current Standings

Recent Claims

There are no claims to announce this week.

Power Rankings

The “Power Rankings” from now on will 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 (1/9) 

• Alwaysmining – His poor Preakness Stakes (G1) performance was disappointing.
• Improbable – He was off the board as the favorite for the second straight race, this time in the Preakness Stakes (G1).
• War of Will – It was sweet redemption for him in the Preakness Stakes (G1) as he rode the rail to victory.
• Omaha Beach – He will miss the entire Triple Crown season after surgery for an entrapped epiglottis.
• Maximum Security – His brutal disqualification in the Kentucky Derby (G1) initially turned this fantasy league into a wide-open event, but now it doesn’t look like it much matters.

2. Brandon “B$” Bauer (2/1) 

• Galilean – It looks like he won’t make much impact during the Triple Crown season after a poor Arkansas Derby (G1) effort.
• Haikal – A scratch from the Kentucky Derby (G1) was a tough break for a team that had a big shot at winning.
• So Alive – A poor effort in the Blue Grass Stakes (G2) is not what this team wanted to see.
• Tacitus – After a tough trip in the Kentucky Derby (G1), he still managed to finished third. He could play a major factor in the Belmont Stakes (G1).
• Global Campaign – A big win in the Peter Pan Stakes (G3) earned this team 20 valuable points. However, he is questionable for the Belmont Stakes (G1).

3. Paul “Free Beers” Withrow (99/1) 

• Game Winner – He suffered the worst trip in the history of the Kentucky Derby (G1), which gave him no chance. He could bounce back in the Belmont Stakes (G1).
• Super Steed – Bone bruising forced him off of the Kentucky Derby trail.
• U S Navy Cross – His allowance race at Keeneland was poor. He won’t make an impact during the Triple Crown season.
• Anothertwistafate – A poor Preakness Stakes (G1) showing ended this teams run at the title.
• Roadster – He was a no-show in the Kentucky Derby (G1) after a terrible trip and a flat performance.

4. Jared Welch (99/1) 

• Country House – It was a tough break when news broke that this horse would be out for the rest of the Triple Crown season.
• Gun It – This horse has been a total disaster.
• Spinoff – He was a total non-factor in the Kentucky Derby (G1). He’s now pointed towards the Belmont Stakes (G1), though.
• Intrepid Heart – A lackluster third in the Peter Pan Stakes (G3) was a real downer for this team. He’ll still run in the Belmont Stakes (G1).
• Gray Attempt – After his third-place effort in the Bachelor Stakes, he has no value as far as the fantasy league is concerned.

5. Patrick “Mad Dog” Meagher (99/1)

• Code of Honor – It looks like he will not run in the Belmont Stakes (G1).
• Signalman – It was more of the same for him in the Preakness Stakes (G1).
• Knicks Go – He’s bad.
• Rowayton – He’s also bad.
• Elvis – He’s even worse.

• Vekoma – He was a non-factor in the Kentucky Derby (G1).
• Mihos – An injury has forced him off of the Kentucky Derby trail.
• Tax – It was a flat performance for him in the Kentucky Derby (G1).
• Sueno – It doesn’t look like he will run in the Preakness Stakes (G1), which is a tough blow for this team.
• Owendale – He may have been the best horse in the Preakness Stakes (G1); however, he had to settle for third.

7. Aaron Halterman (99/1)

• Mucho Gusto – A big win in the Lazaro Barrera Stakes (G3) shows that he does indeed have talent.
• Gunmetal Gray – An injury forced him off of the Kentucky Derby trail.
• Long Range Toddy – He got the worst of the interference in the Kentucky Derby (G1).
• Bankit – He couldn’t even hit the board against New York-breds at Aqueduct. This was a terrible draft pick.
• Cornacchia – Worst claim in the history of fantasy sports.

8. Mike “Saratoga Slim” Spector (99/1)

• Instagrand – His Pat Day Mile Stakes (G3) disaster was explained after the race with news of an injury.
• Kingly – He lost…at Golden Gate.
• Mind Control – He picked up a nice win in the Bay Shore Stakes (G3) while sprinting, but has no value in this league moving forward.
• Dream Maker – His third in the Pat Day Mile Stakes (G3) was encouraging.
• Dessman – Put him on a milk carton… he’s missing.

9. Dan “Wise Dan” Waite (99/1)

• Bourbon War – A poor Preakness Stakes (G1) ended his dreams of winning the league.
• By My Standards – This turned out to be a terrible claim as he was a non-factor in the Kentucky Derby (G1).
• Win Win Win – It’s time to close the book on him after a poor Preakness Stakes (G1) effort.
• Standard Deviation – This is a very slow horse.
• Nolo Contesto – A poor effort in the Santa Anita Derby (G1) means that he’ll likely not make an impact during the Triple Crown season.

10. The Magic Mike Show (99/1)

• Mucho – Running last of four in the Bay Shore Stakes (G3) was an extremely poor showing. He recently worked on the turf.
• Well Defined – The pace killed him in the Tampa Bay Derby (G2). There are no public plans for him at the moment.
• Walking Thunder – His UAE Derby (G2) effort was decent; however, he could be at his best when going 1 mile.
• Limonite – He won on Kentucky Derby Day… but it was the race AFTER the Kentucky Derby (G1).
• Plus Que Parfait – He was better than expected in the Kentucky Derby (G1), but he still couldn’t hit the board. He’s the team’s last hope to avoid finishing last because he is now pointed towards the Belmont Stakes (G1).

As a reminder, let’s take a look at the official rules of the league.

The Rules

Scoring:

Horses will earn points for finishing first, second, third, and starting a race. Below is the breakdown of how to earn points:

⁃ Triple Crown Races

Win: 100 points
Place: 50 points
Show: 25 points
Start in the race: 10 points

– Bonus Races: Oaklawn Invitational, Pat Day Mile, and Peter Pan Stakes

Win: 20 points
Place: 10 points
Show: 5 points
Start in the race: 1 point

A Triple Crown winner is worth an extra 1,000 point bonus!

Claiming: For the first year ever, teams can claim horses every week!

– Players will have the ability to claim horses every Monday. After everyone has had a chance to put in claims on Monday, new claims will be announced Tuesday. In the event of two or more people trying to claim the same horse, a live video shake will be conducted by the dictator, just like what happens when two or more people try to claim a horse out of a race.

– Each claim will cost you points. You can go into the negatives, so you don’t have to have points established to make a claim. The claiming points fees are as follows:

– A May claim will cost you 50 points

– A June claim will cost you 60 points

Trades:

⁃ Trades are allowed. All trades must involve an equal amount of horses. All teams must always have five members at all times.

⁃ All trades must be approved by the commissioner in case of obvious shenanigans.