Steve Haskin's Derby Dozen

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From bloodhorse.com: Haskin's Derby Dozen.

1. Union Rags
2. El Padrino
3. Creative Cause
4. Sabercat
5. I'll Have Another
6. Out of Bounds
7. Fed Biz
8. Alpha
9. Hansen
10.Gemologist
11.Mark Valeski
12.News Pending
12.Liaison


Read more: http://cs.bloodhorse.com/blogs/kentucky-derby-dozen/archive/2012/03/05/derby-dozen-video-march-5-2012-presented-by-shadwell-farm.aspx

Five Under the Radar Derby Hopefuls

With less than two months now remaining until the Kentucky Derby, we are starting to get a pretty solid picture of who the top contenders are. Right now it's Union Rags at the top and everyone else trailing, but horses like Alpha, El Padrino, and Hansen have to be considered serious second-tier contenders based off of their last races. The final preps will give us our best indicators of what to look for in Louisville, but the next two weekends could be quite telling as well.

This weekend's two Kentucky Derby preps take us to Santa Anita for the San Felipe and Tampa Bay Downs for the Tampa Bay Derby. Next week it will be the Rebel from Oaklawn. The San Felipe, especially, will be a key race, as most of the top West Coast 3-year-olds should be in the gate. Even with Out of Bounds off the trail, it still looks like a formidable group with Baffert's pair--Fed Biz and Liaison--as well as Creative Cause, Empire Way, Midnight Transfer, Rousing Sermon, and possibly Sabercat. The Tampa Bay Derby is a wide-open affair with Todd Pletcher's Spring Hill Farm the likely favorite leading the charge.

With Pool 2 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager having ended last Sunday, I think there are still several horses flying under the radar. Some of them weren't even individual betting choices in the pool, others were at odds of 30-1 or higher when betting ended. Here are five horses that I think could jump into the picture--either after this weekend is over, or by the time the final preps are run. Not included on this list is Sabercat (he'll either go in San Felipe or Rebel) who I still like and who ended the pool at 30-1, but I don't really consider him a true under the radar horse. After all, he does have $600,000 of earnings.

http://cs.bloodhorse.com/blogs/triplecrowntalk/archive/2012/03/06/five-under-the-radar-derby-hopefuls.aspx

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1. Video of recent Derby preps...

Creative Cause outduels Bodemeister in San Felipe Stakes: http://www.ntra.com/content/display/news/NDk3ODM=

Prospective beats Golden Ticket under the wire to win the Grade 2, $350,000 Tampa Bay Derby: http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=7672899

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2. Palm Beach win puts Howe Great on Kentucky Derby trail (with video)...

From bloodhorse.com: Howe Great took another step towards following in the footsteps of stablemate and 2011 Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom by registering a very professional one-length victory over fellow Derby prospect Dullahan in Sunday’s $150,000 Palm Beach Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

The Grade 3 Palm Beach was the fourth win in a row for Howe Great, a son of Hat Trick who captured the Kitten’s Joy seven weeks ago. He is undefeated in three starts on grass but won his maiden on dirt last fall at Parx.

Although Howe Great has been on the lead in each of his two previous turf wins, jockey John Velazquez rated him just off the pace of Scorcher during the early stages of the Palm Beach. Howe Great saved ground while stalking the leader for six furlongs, took control along the rail approaching the stretch, edged clear, and then maintained a safe advantage over Dullahan. Dullahan circled five wide entering the stretch and finished with good energy to be second in his first start since the Breeders’ Cup.

http://www.ntra.com/content/display/news/NDk3ODQ=

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3. Union Rags...

Bank.

Loved this one:

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4. He's a good lookin' horse...

I don't know how much he got out of the FOY. Hopefully, the FLDerby will test him. I'm looking forward to that race.

I had forgotten how much traffic he had to deal with in the Champagne. That was really a great effort by Union Rags.

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5. I love a horse who can shift gears in the face of adversity.

I always look forward to the FL Derby and I think Union will impress big time.

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7. Me too...

any 2YO that can rate, run in traffic, get taken back then split horses is something special. This guy has real talent.

Take your winnings and enjoy some BBQ at Sonny's!

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8. Funny thing---

My teenage son now works there....

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6. #7 Fed Biz of the Derby Tail...

http://www.paulickreport.com/news/thoroughbred-racing/baffert-no-kentucky-derby-for-fed-biz/