March 12 Kentucky Derby Contenders Update

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      #1 PYRO - Won the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby with a steady advance at the Fair Grounds on March 8 going 1 ^1/16 miles. He sat patiently in the second flight despite a slow pace up front. Had to wait for running room down the lane but he took over inside the eighth pole and drew off by 3 lengths. He pretty much reached the front on his own then got a few taps from Bridghmohan as he opened up.
VIDEO: Louisiana Derby (G2)
NEXT START - Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G1) on April 12 at Keeneland

     #5 DENIS OF CORK - The buzz about this colt still continues. It was just announced that he will skip the Rebel Stakes (G2) on Saturday March 15. He will make just one more start before the Kentucky Derby and trainer David Carroll said he would target either the Illinois Derby (G2) or Wood Memorial Stakes (G1) on April 5. Denis worked 5f in 1:01⁰ on March 9 at Fair Grounds. That work was rated 4th best out of 54 for that morning/distance. And Denis worked 5f in 1:01³ breezing on March 2nd at Fair Grounds and this was the 10th best out of 60 to work that morning. It appears as though the Southwest Stakes did not take anything out of him.
  VIDEO: Jill Byrne Analysis
  VIDEO: Southwest Stakes (G3)
  VIDEO: Allowance Win (Fair Grounds)
  VIDEO: Maiden Win (Churchill Downs)
  NEXT START - Illinois Derby (G2) or Wood Memorial Stakes (G1) on April 5.

     #9 YANKEE BRAVO - This colt seems way underrated. Of all the horses on this top 15 list (plus the 21 horses on the sub list) he has the 3rd best late pace ratings behind PYRO, COLONEL JOHN and BLACKBERRY ROAD. Yankee Bravo won his lone start in Europe and won 2 of 3 here. His only loss is a 3rd place effort behind PYRO. If you read the next paragraph it speaks loudly that YG could be a super dark horse (meant in the slang for  aspirant getting little respect). Got up for 3rd from dead last in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby. >>>>>Impressively, this son of YANKEE GENTLEMAN ran a faster final 2 ^1/2 furlongs than PYRO. YG came home in :29³ to PYRO’S :30². Alex Solis, his regular rider, made the trip for this one. This being only his 4th start there is a lot of room for improvement. This colt looks very promising at this point.  Previously he was undefeated after 3 starts including the $150k California Derby going 1 ^1/16 miles at Golden Gate back on January 27.
VIDEO: Louisiana Derby (G2)
  VIDEO: California Derby ($150k)
NEXT START - Santa Anita Derby (G1) on April 5 at Santa Anita

      #10 VISIONAIRE - Won the Grade 3 Gotham in the slop at Aqueduct on March 8 with a strong late run. He was the only horse with anything left for the final eighth of a mile as they appeared out of the fog.  On February 9 he finished 3rd to PYRO and Z FORTUNE in the Grade 3 Risen Star and those 2 are obviously very talented.
One thing to note is that he beat ELYSIUM FIELDS as a 2yo to break his maiden
and that one went on to a placing in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth. Even though his pedigree lends questions to distance limitations, he seems to want more ground and he does have solid late pace numbers so far at 1 mile and 1 ^1/16 miles.
VIDEO: Gotham Stakes (G3)
NEXT START - Blue Grass Stakes (G1) on April 12 at Keeneland.

ATONED has been pulling it all together with a steady stream of breezes down at the Palm Beach Downs training center. Atoned (by sire REPENT) has quietly compiled a 7-2-4-0 career mark highlighted by his neck defeat to COURT VISION in the G2 Remsen goin 1 ^1/8 miles back in November. He definitely has been training well for 3yo debut for trainer Todd Pletcher and owners Dogwood Stable.

One to watch closely this weekend:

     #11 Z FORTUNE - Was the PYRO/VISIONAIRE sandwich in the Risen Star and that makes him look better than he gets credit for. Finished 2nd best in the Grade 3 Risen Star on February 9 at the Fairgrounds. He did have the lead briefly at the stretch turn but was no match for PYRO down the lane. New York bred was undefeated after 3 starts and got the unusual ship in victory at the Fair Grounds in the Grade 3 Lecomte. This SIPHON colt has good speed but is not a need to lead type. He proved that in the Lecomte.
One fact worth noticing is this son of SIPHON is a PYRO and 2 lengths shy of being
undefeated. He stands at 4-3-1-0 going into the Rebel.
VIDEO: Jill Byrne Analysis
VIDEO: Risen Star Stakes (G3)
VIDEO: Lecomte Stakes (G3)
VIDEO: Allowance Win (Aqueduct)
  VIDEO: Maiden Win (Belmont)
NEXT START - Rebel Stakes (G2) on March 15 at Oaklawn

View the complete list at http://www.fullcardreports.com/CAP/2008-Kentucky-Derby-Contenders.htm

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