Kentucky Derby Top 20 Prospects #5

Kentucky Derby Point Standings

New: Lines of Battle, Mylute, Black Onyx

Dropped Out: Code West, Palace Malice, Shanghai Bobby

1. Verrazano – Points Earned: 50 – Current Rank: 9th

He’s our new number one, but is that really a good thing?  Our last two number one ranked horses have went down in flames so will Verrazano be next?  He headlines the Wood Memorial this Saturday.

2. Revolutionary – Points Earned: 110 – Current Rank: 2nd

You can bet everyone involved with Revolutionary was able to breath a sigh of relief after he won the Louisiana Derby last Saturday.  He really needed the points, and with a full field and his habit for getting into trouble, they really rolled the dice just giving him one shot to get big points.  It paid off however, and now Revolutionary is heading to Kentucky with all kinds of momentum.

3. Orb – Points Earned: 150 – Current Rank: 1st

Orb kept the ball rolling when winning the Florida Derby last Saturday, but the final time was pretty average.  I did love how he was able to lay closer to the pace this time, and I also like that the Kentucky Derby distance is going to suit him just fine.  Very logical win contender at this point.

4. Oxbow – Points Earned: 36 – Current Rank: 12th

He continues to thrive at Oaklawn, and the news came out last week that Gary Stevens is coming in to ride him in the Arkansas Derby.  He’s a very tough horse, but the mile and one quarter distance is still in question.

5. Will Take Charge – Points Earned: 60 – Current Rank: 4th

Another Lukas horse that is thriving at Oaklawn.  He won the Rebel, and is being considered for the Blue Grass Stakes at the moment.  If he doesn’t run there, he could just train up to the Kentucky Derby.

6. Itsmyluckyday – Points Earned: 50 – Current Rank: 5th

The good news is Itsmyluckyday’s second place finish in the Florida Derby assured him a spot in the Kentucky Derby.  The bad news is he looked pretty ordinary in that second place finish.  It clearly wasn’t his best race, and hopefully he’ll have a big bounce back race on the first Saturday in May.

7. Vyjack – Points Earned: 50 – Current Rank: 6th

He’s undefeated, and he’s still being ignored!  He’ll square off with Verrazano this Saturday in the Wood Memorial in what promises to be an epic show down.  If he is able to win it, he’ll surely get plenty of attention then!

8. Flashback – Points Earned: 30 – Current Rank: 14th

It’s redemption time for Flashback, who runs this Saturday in the Santa Anita Derby.  We’ll see if the jockey change makes the big difference we are expecting it to make.

9. Hear the Ghost – Points Earned: 50 – Current Rank: 10th

He’s already beaten Flashback once, and a win on Saturday would solidify him as a serious Kentucky Derby threat.  We’ll see if he can have the same closing kick when he doesn’t get a perfect pace set up.

10. Java’s War – Points Earned: 22 – Current Rank: 17th

Really liked his race at Tampa when he finished second to Verrazano, and I’m happy to hear he’s pointing to the Blue Grass Stakes.  He should handle the synthetic surface well, and I think he’s a real Kentucky Derby sleeper.

11. Lines of Battle – Points Earned: 100 – Current Rank: 3rd

Usually the UAE Derby winners don’t run so well in Kentucky, but Lines of Battle has committed to coming and he does have some serious talent.  How he handles the surface and trip are major question marks though.

12. Den’s Legacy – Points Earned: 20 – Current Rank: 19th

The ultimate “hard knocker” just keeps moving up the list as other horses falter.  I still don’t think he can actually win the race, but he must be respected in all exotic wagers.

13. Super Ninety Nine – Points Earned: 10 – Current Rank: 28th

He’ll be running in the Santa Anita Derby this Saturday, and he must hit the board to have a chance to make it into the Kentucky Derby.  Can he bounce back for his poor Rebel performance, or has he hit his distance limit?

14. Mylute – Points Earned: 42 – Current Rank: 11th

It was a breakout performance for Mylute in the Louisiana Derby, and his second place finish has him locked into the Kentucky Derby field.  I’m not sure he can get the mile and one-quarter distance, but he’s a earned a spot on this list for now.

15. Goldencents – Points Earned: 29 – Current Rank: 15th

The Santa Anita Derby is on tap for Goldencents this weekend, and hopefully he doesn’t get caught up in a crazy speed duel this time.  He’s a horse that could have distance limitations as well, so this will be a make or break race for him.

16. Tiz A Minister – Points Earned: 10 – Current Rank: 35th

Was his third place effort last time out a product of a fast pace, or is this a legit Kentucky Derby horse?  We’ll find out this Saturday in the Santa Anita Derby.

17. Govenor Charlie – Points Earned: 50 – Current Rank: 7th

We really have no idea how good this horse is, but at least we know that he’s safely in the Kentucky Derby and heading to Louisville.

18. Departing – Points Earned: 20 – Current Rank: 21st

I’m keeping him on the list because I do believe he belongs in the Derby, but as you can see he’ll need plenty of help points wise.  It’s upsetting that he will probably not qualify for the race.

19. Black Onyx – Points Earned: 50 – Current Rank: 8th

I really don’t care much for this horse, but he’s safely in the Kentucky Derby so I put him on the list.  He is already at Churchill Downs and is training so that is one positive on his side.

20. Normandy Invasion – Points Earned: 4 – Current Rank: 44th

It’s now or never for Normandy Invasion in the Wood Memorial.  He’ll need to finish in the top three or you won’t hear about him until after the Kentucky Derby.