Kentucky Derby Contenders

Daily Racing News
by Jack McKinney
Posted on April 11, 2011
  

Kentucky Derby contenders for Jack’s Top 20 as of April 11th. The 137th Kentucky Derby is held at Churchill Downs on May 7th, televised on NBC and sponsored by Yum! Brands for the $2 Million purse. My Kentucky Derby contenders will help you prepare for The Greatest Two Minutes In Sports as the three year old horses run for the roses.

This week’s Kentucky Derby Contenders rankings not only list my favorites to win the Kentucky Derby but also helps paint a picture as to where the cutoff for graded stakes earnings is going to land. I think the horse that might tie it all together is Shackleford from trainer Dale Romans who has $212,000 in graded stakes earnings in 2011.

Kentucky Derby contenders listed below without earnings will need to win their remaining Kentucky Derby Prep race outright to have a chance at qualifying for the 137th Kentucky Derby.

For the first time in 2011 Uncle Mo is not on top of my board as the number one Kentucky Derby Contender. Dialed in has replaced Uncle Mo and I did have a hard time contemplating moving The Factor into the 2nd place spot also but if you read my article yesterday – Kentucky Derby Flipped Upside Down – then you know I think horses are never as bad as they look when they lose. Uncle Mo has yet to match his Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in 2011, we know he can run faster as he has already proven and quite possibly has not run his best race yet which is a reason to keep him as #2. The Factor runs on Saturday in the Arkansas Derby and with a win it solidifies his place at the top but he will need to be careful of Astrology!

Every year I seem to get bit by a horse that I can neither shake or will give me the justification to throw away and this year it is Mucho Macho Man. I love this horse as a fan of racing! He is big at 17 hands tall with long legs. Mucho Macho Man has developed both physical and mental toughness since being clipped from behind in the Remsen, bumped hard out of the gate in the Holy Bull, won the Risen Star when given no contact and finally finished third in the Louisiana Derby despite tearing off a shoe with a chunk of flesh attached to it.

Enough of the chatter from me.

Here are the Kentucky Derby Contender Rankings:

# Horse Trainer Earnings Derby Prep
1 Dialed In Nicholas Zito $840,000
2 Uncle Mo Todd Pletcher $1,360,000
3 The Factor Bob Baffert $270,000 Arkansas Derby
4 Mucho Macho Man Katherine Ritvo $370,000
5 Astrology Steven Asmussen $281,893 Arkansas Derby
6 Pants On Fire Kelly Breen $623,000
7 Midnight Interlude Bob Baffert $600,000
8 Decisive Moment Juan Arias $301,000
9 Comma to the Top Peter Miller $671,000
10 Master of Hounds Aidan O’Brien $441,884
11 Shackleford Dale Romans $212,000
12 J P’s Gusto Joseph Petalino $541,500 Arkansas Derby
13 Nehro Steven Asmussen $200,000 Arkansas Derby
14 Jaycito Bob Baffert $250,000
15 Animal Kingdom H. Motion $285,000
16 Stay Thirsty Todd Pletcher $260,000
17 Twice the Appeal Jeff Bonde $400,000
18 Soldat Kiaran McLaughlin $540,000
19 Santiva Eddie Kenneally $240,254 Blue Grass
20 Watch Me Go Kathleen O’Connell $235,500
21 Archarcharch William Fires $180,000 Arkansas Derby
22 Brethren Todd Pletcher $155,000 Arkansas Derby
23 Elite Alex Timothy Ritchey $65,000 Arkansas Derby
24 Sway Away Jeff Bonde $61,500 Arkansas Derby
25 Caleb’s Posse Donnie Von Hemel $71,504 Arkansas Derby
26 Wilkinson Neil Howard $70,000 Blue Grass
27 Joes Blazing Aaron Allan Hunter, Jr. $90,000 Blue Grass
28 Crimson China H. Motion Blue Grass
29 King Congie T. Albertrani Blue Grass
30 Sensational Slam Todd Pletcher Blue Grass
31 Praetero Blue Grass

Cheers,

Jack.

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Every year Jack McKinney follows the new 2 year olds on the scene through the Breeder’s Cup as maturing 3 year olds.


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