Countdown to the Kentucky Derby: Top Contenders Updates

by Patricia Woo | Apr 12 2010

With all but a scant few prep races run and the tabulations of graded stakes earnings nearly complete, the starting list of the 2010 Kentucky Derby is all but set. This year's favorites – Lookin at Lucky, Rule and Eskendereya – still top the board with just a few weeks left to prepare. But after a couple of races boasting huge purses, there are some new faces on the list who could be trouble for the established top prospects: Line of David, Endorsement and Stately Victor.

It took John Sadler's Line of David four tries to break his maiden - from his first attempt at Hollywood Park on Nov. 29 last year to his long-awaited victory on Feb. 13 at Santa Anita Park. From that race onward, however, Line of David has been unbeatable. Paired with Rafael Bejarano, this Lion Heart colt vanquished his rivals in an allowance race at Santa Anita Park on March 11, where he claimed the lead early on and never relinquished it. And then on April 10, in the $1M Gr. 1 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park, he once again powered to the front of the field and responded when asked to dig in for the finish. Against the likes of more seasoned contenders like Noble's Promise, Super Saver and Dublin, Line of David showed he can compete against some of the top 3-year-olds and come out on top. With the $600,000 earned from the Arkansas Derby, Line of David has more than enough graded stakes winnings to qualify for the Kentucky Derby.

Endorsement is another 3-year-old who took several tries to break his maiden but suddenly finds himself with enough graded stakes earnings to secure a berth to the Kentucky Derby. Trained by Shannon Ritter, Endorsement is a Distorted Humor colt who began his racing career at Churchill Downs on Nov. 26. He finally broke his maiden on Feb. 20 at Oaklawn Park where his frontrunning style earned him victory. He showed he could rally, too, in his first graded stakes win: in the $800,000 Gr. 3 Sunland Derby at Sunland Park on March 28, he surprised top contender Conveyance in the final turn and won going away. He also earned $300,000 for the win, enough to earn his place in the starting gate for the Kentucky Derby. With his versatile running style in what will be a crowded 20-horse race, Endorsement will be a serious threat in the Kentucky Derby.

Stately Victor was a 40-1 longshot in the $750,000 Gr. 1 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland on April 10. With top contenders like Odysseus, Aikenite and Paddy O'Prado in the field, not many were expecting much from the son of Ghostzapper; it took two tries for this Michael Maker trainee to break his maiden, finally doing so at Saratoga on Sept. 5 last year. From there, he finished sixth in his first graded stakes try – the $500,000 Gr. 1 Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland on Oct. 10, and then competed in a slew of allowance races in which he never finished better than fifth. What better way to break out of a slump than with a huge performance in the Blue Grass Stakes, a race worth $450,000 to the winner. And he turned in a great race, overcoming traffic troubles at the start and closing with a powerful move that propelled him past the runner-up and should serve him well in the Kentucky Derby.

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