BROTHER DEREK AT HEAD OF CLASS.Byline: KEVIN MODESTI HORSE RACING horse racing, trials of speed involving two or more horses. It includes races among harnessed horses with one of two particular gaits, among saddled Thoroughbreds (or, less frequently, quarterhorses) on a flat track, or among saddled horses over a turf course with ARCADIA - Brother Derek Brother Derek is a thoroughbred horse. A foal of 2003, he was thought to be a contender for the Triple Crown in 2006. He was an early favorite in the Kentucky Derby. However, after starting in post position #18, he fell short in the "Run for the Roses," finishing in a dead heat for remains No.1 on this column's list of prospects for the May6 Kentucky Derby Kentucky Derby One of the classic U.S. Thoroughbred horse races. It was established in 1875 and run annually on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs track in Louisville, Ky. With the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes, it makes up U.S. racing's coveted Triple Crown. , even after Lawyer Ron's and Sinister Minister's eye-catching victories last weekend in the final major prep races. Here's an early look at the top Derby horses, using the Daily Racing Form's latest odds as a guide. The number before each horse's (and jockey's) name is the overall ranking as we see it: FAVORITES 1. Brother Derek (Alex Solis Alex O. Solis (born March 25, 1964 in Panama City, Panama) is a jockey based in the United States. He currently lives in Glendora, California and rides predominantly in Southern California. He first gained national prominence when he won the 1986 Preakness Stakes with Snow Chief. ), 3-1: The Santa Anita Derby The Santa Anita Derby is an American Grade 1 thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds run each April at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California and carries a purse of $750,000. winner has dominated a strong Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, class. 2. Barbaro (Edgar Prado Edgar S. Prado (born June 12, 1967 in Lima, Peru) is a thoroughbred horse racing jockey. Now a resident of Hollywood, Florida in 2004 Prado became the 19th jockey in thoroughbred racing history to win 5,000 races. ), 6-1: The Florida Derby The Florida Derby is an American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses held annually at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida on the Saturday closest to the end of March or the first of April. winner and Brother Derek boast multiple graded-stakes wins and multiple 100-plus Beyer speed figures. 5. Lawyer Ron (John McKee), 5-1: Before naming him the next Smarty Jones and Afleet Alex, note his Arkansas Derby win was 1 4/5 and 2 2/5 seconds slower than theirs. CHALLENGERS 3. Bob and John (Garrett Gomez), 12-1: Houston Texans owner Bob McNair's colt left L.A. to win the Wood Memorial and is the best-seasoned of Bob Baffert's trio. 4. Sweetnorthernsaint (Kent Desormeaux), 10-1: Facing light competition, the Illinois Derby-winning gelding gelding castrated male horse. keeps winning big and running fast. 6. Sinister Minister (Victor Espinoza), 15-1: Baffert's 12-length Blue Grass winner has the early speed to lead the Derby, or to ruin horses who try to deny him. 8. Point Determined (Rafael Bejarano), 15-1: The Santa Anita Derby runner-up gives Baffert three solid chances to train a fourth Kentucky Derby winner. CONTENDERS 7. A.P. Warrior (Corey Nakatani), 20-1: Third in the Santa Anita Derby, he looks better going in for trainer John Shirreffs than Giacomo did in 2005. 9. Steppenwolfer (Robby Albarado), 30-1: After passing nine horses to finish second in Arkansas, the gray looks good to those predicting a killer pace. 10. Bluegrass Cat (John Velazquez), 30-1: The New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of 2-year-old star was supposed to lead the Todd Pletcher barn's charge, which hasn't really developed. 13. Sunriver (Velazquez), 30-1: Expected to make noise for Pletcher in the Florida Derby, he was third to Barbaro and Sharp Humor. 14. Jazil (Fernando Jara), 30-1: He gained in the slow final stages of the Wood to run second for Kiaran McLaughlin, trainer of '05 Derby runner-up Closing Argument. LONG SHOTS 11. Sharp Humor (Mark Guidry), 40-1: The New York-bred has Funny Cide-type appeal after battling Barbaro to within one-half length in Florida. 12. Keyed Entry (Prado), 40-1: Another Pletcher product, the Wood show horse has impressed the clock-watchers but not the students of stamina. 15. Private Vow (Shaun Bridgmohan), 40-1: Third to Lawyer Ron in Arkansas, he's handicapped by having only two starts since a good 2-year-old season. 16. Cause to Believe (Russell Baze), 50-1: The Bay Area's best 3-year-old could do no better than a distant third in the Illinois Derby. 20. Sacred Light (Aaron Gryder), 40-1: A near-fall at the start of the Santa Anita Derby must remind trainer David Hofmans of Touch Gold, who stumbled in the '97 Preakness before winning the Belmont to deny Silver Charm the Triple Crown. OUTSIDERS 17. Like Now (Jara), 60-1: The Gotham-winning gelding runs in Saturday's Lexington Stakes at Keeneland, the prep that produced Charismatic in '99. 18. Flashy Bull (Bejarano), 80-1: The McLaughlin-trained gray looked poised for a big effort in the Florida Derby, but went the other way. 19. Storm Treasure (Guidry), 60-1: Trained by prolific Steve Asmussen - like Private Vow - he moved way up to run second in the Blue Grass at 65-1. 21. Red Raymond (Luis Quinonez), 100-1: The $7,500 yearling yearling an animal in its second year of age, e.g. yearling cattle, yearling filly, yearling colt. yearling disease rinderpest in wildebeeste in the Serengheti. is one of two here for trainer Bob Holthus, who's lucky the other is Lawyer Ron. 22. Deputy Glitters (Jose Lezcano), 60-1: Toss out his two wet-track flops in New York, and the Tampa Derby winner doesn't look so terrible. CAPTION(S): box Box: SANTA ANITA |
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