Kentucky Derby Top Contenders Update
by Patricia Woo | Mar 1 2010
With the 2010 Kentucky Derby only two months away, several top contenders like Eskendereya have emerged, while others have fallen by the wayside of the Triple Crown trail.
Contenders to Watch
Eskendereya - One of Todd Pletcher's talented 3-year-olds. A son of Giant's Causeway, Eskendereya first piqued the interest of horse bettors in October when he romped in the $150,000 Pilgrim Stakes at Belmont Park on dirt. A disappointing ninth-place finish in the $2M Gr. 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile a month later on Santa Anita's synthetic Pro-Ride surface seemed to indicate this colt was better-suited to dirt and a subsequent start in an allowance race at Gulfstream Park in January confirmed that. On Feb. 20, Eskendereya took on a deep field in the $250,000 Gr. 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes, also at Gulfstream Park, and demolished the competition by 8 ½ lengths; he covered the 1 1/8 mile track in 1:48.87 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 106.
Others emerging as top contenders: Conveyance (Bob Baffert), who has won four straight races, including the Southwest Stakes (G3) on Feb. 20; Rule (another Todd Pletcher trainee), who put in a stellar performance in the Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3) on Feb. 13; and D'Funnybone (Rick Dutrow, Jr.), who bounced back from a disappointing loss in the Risen Star Stakes (G2) Feb. 20.
Long Shot
Vale of York - One of Godolphin Stable's breakout stars of 2009. This son of Invincible Spirit captured the $2M Gr. 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile in November, upsetting 2-1 favorite Lookin at Lucky by a head. He was then shipped to Dubai for his 3-year-old winter campaign and had been expected to compete in the $250,000 UAE 2000 Guineas at Meydan on Feb. 18 for his 2010 debut. But he was deemed "not quite ready" by his connections and will now start in the $250,000 Al Bastakiya on March 4. Other Godolphin trainees who have campaigned in Dubai prior to the Kentucky Derby have not fared well: 2008 champion 2-year-old male Midshipman was forced off the Triple Crown trail due to injury; Vineyard Haven failed to perform as expected and was not entered; Desert Party was injured during the race and finished 14th in the Derby. Vale of York's performance in the Al Bastakiya will determine his Derby status; he will need a strong one to prove his readiness.
Lookin' at the Next Derby Champion?
The most highly anticipated debut of the year belongs to Lookin at Lucky, a Smart Strike colt who was unbeaten as a 2-year-old going into the Breeders' Cup Juvenile with wins in the $150,000 Gr. 2 Best Pal Stakes in September, the $300,000 Gr. 1 Del Mar Futurity in October and the $300,000 Gr. 1 Norfolk Stakes in November. He was beaten by a head in the Breeders' Cup, but bounced back with a huge victory in the $750,000 Gr. 1 CashCall Futurity in December. Trained by Bob Baffert, Lookin at Lucky will face competition for the first time as a 3-year-old on March 13 in either the $150,000 Gr. 2 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita or try dirt in the $300,000 Gr. 2 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park.
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