Got a Derby Horse?

Let's Pick a horse to "show", 3rd place.  That will be the real challenge. I say "Candy Boy"

Remember  This is for Show  Not the win

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LOUISVILLE, KY - APRIL 25: Wildcat Red is riden by Juan Belmonte during the morning exercise session in preparation for the 140th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on April 25, 2014 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Donna Gialanella / The Star-Ledger
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John Sutton/The Star-Ledger By John Sutton/The Star-Ledger
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on May 02, 2014 at 6:00 AM, updated May 02, 2014 at 3:44 PM
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Vicar’s in Trouble
PP: 1
Odds: 20-1
Owner: Kenneth L. and Sarah K. Ramsey
Trainer: Michael Maker
Jockey: Rosie Napravnik
Family Tree: Sire: Into Mischief (Harlan’s Holiday); Dam: Vibrant (Vicar)

VICTORIES OF NOTE: Grade 2 Louisiana Derby, Grade 3 LeComte Stakes.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: This front-runner, owned by the country’s most successful owners last year, easily put away a weak Louisiana Derby field to enter this race on a high note. High Bridge native Napravnik will try again to become the first female jockey to win the Kentucky Derby after finishing fifth aboard Mylute last year.

CAN WIN BECAUSE: This horse is coming off the best race of his career, and could still be improving. Napravnik is one of the best jockeys in the country.

CAN’T WIN BECAUSE: He seems to need the lead to win, and that will be extremely tough from the inside post. No horse has won from there since Ferdinand in 1986.

Harry’s Holiday
PP: 2
Odds: 50-1
Owner: Skychai Racing LLC, Sand Dollar Stable, LLC, Terry Raymond & Jana Wagner
Trainer: Michael Maker
Jockey: Corey Lanerie
Family Tree: Sire: Harlan’s Holiday (Harlan); Dam: Daley Mason (Orientate)

VICTORIES OF NOTE: None.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: Maker’s third-best entry earned the necessary points with a second-place finish in the Spiral Stakes, but put up a big-time clunker with a 13th-place finish in the Blue Grass. His speed figures don’t seem to be up-to-par with the rest of the field.

CAN WIN BECAUSE: Crazier things have happened in the Derby and a 20-horse field can be unpredictable.

CAN’T WIN BECAUSE: He hasn’t proven he has the speed, the ability or the class to hang with this level.
RELATED: Odds updated as of Friday afternoon

Uncle Sigh
PP: 3
Odds: 30-1
Owner: Wounded Warrior Stables & Anthony C. Robertson
Trainer: Gary Contessa
Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.
Family Tree: Sire: Indian Charlie (In Excess); Dam: Cradleson (Pin Bluff)

VICTORIES OF NOTE: None.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: Gotham and Withers runner-up put up a distant fifth-place finish in the Wood Memorial. Contessa is putting blinkers on this colt for the first time for this race, and that could produce the best results. Corey Nakatani chose to ride Dance With Fate over this colt.

CAN WIN BECAUSE: The blinkers may give him a renewed focus especially out of the gate, which appears to be the most crucial point of the race for him.

CAN’T WIN BECAUSE: His only victory came in a state-bred maiden race at Aqueduct. He’ll need to make a big-time step up here.

Danza
PP: 4
Odds: 8-1
Owner: Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: Joe Bravo
Family Tree: Sire: Street Boss (Street Cry); Dam: Champagne Royale (French Deputy)

VICTORIES OF NOTE: Grade 1 Arkansas Derby.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: Jersey Joe Bravo has his best chance yet for a Derby victory with Todd Pletcher’s top 3-year-old charge. Colt named after actor Tony Danza looked very impressive as he dominated the Arkansas Derby field after two disappointing starts.

CAN WIN BECAUSE: The run he made through the stretch of the Arkansas Derby looked like that of a Derby winner.

CAN’T WIN BECAUSE: There’s a good chance that run at Oaklawn was a fluke, and he’s due for a big-time bounce at Churchill Downs.

California Chrome
PP: 5
Odds: 5-2
Owner: Steve and Carolyn Coburn & Perry and Denise Martin
Trainer: Art Sherman
Jockey: Victor Espinoza
Family Tree: Sire: Lucky Pulpit (Pulpit); Dam: Love the Chase (Not for Love)

VICTORIES OF NOTE: Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby, Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: California-bred looks like the class of this race after four straight dominant performances. He sat just off a hot pace in the Santa Anita Derby before easing his way to a 5¼-length victory, which could have easily been more. Trainer Art Sherman, 77, is bringing his first horse to the Derby since he was the exercise rider for Swaps in 1955.

CAN WIN BECAUSE: He seems to be the best horse in the field. After struggling to find his footing as a 2-year-old, Chrome hasn’t even been pushed in his last four victories, winning them by a total of 24¼ lengths.

CAN’T WIN BECAUSE: He’s already had 10 starts, and six of them were against other California-breds. It’s possible he may have peaked in the lead-up to the Derby, and he’s never raced outside the state of California.
2014 Kentucky DerbySamraat is looking to become the first New York-bred to win the Kentucky Derby since Funny Cide in 2003.Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Samraat
PP: 6
Odds: 15-1
Owner: My Meadowview Farm
Trainer: Richard Violette Jr.
Jockey: Jose Ortiz
Family Tree: Sire: Noble Causeway (Giant’s Causeway); Dam: Little Indian Girl (Indian Charlie)

VICTORIES OF NOTE: Grade 3 Gotham Stakes, Grade 3 Withers Stakes.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: Violette-trainee is trying to become the first New York-bred to win the Derby since Funny Cide in 2003. This colt exited state-bred company after dominating his first three races, and captured close victories in the Gotham and Withers. He was never able to find his best stride in a second-place finish in the Wood.

CAN WIN BECAUSE: He consistently produces top speed figures and has the stalking style that should keep him near the lead as they reach the finish line.

CAN’T WIN BECAUSE: Violette has never taken him out of his home state of New York, and recent Derby history shows New York’s best haven’t been at their best in Kentucky.

We Miss Artie
PP: 7
Odds: 50-1
Owner: Kenneth L and Sarah K Ramsey
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: Javier Castellano
Family Tree: Sire: Artie Schiller (El Prado); Dam: Athena’s Gift (Fusaichi Pegasus)
CAREER RECORD

VICTORIES OF NOTE: Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity, Grade 3 Spiral Stakes.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: Son of turf specialist Artie Schiller has taken the synthetic route to the Derby with a victory in the Spiral Stakes. This colt has never been able to perform well on dirt, and even Pletcher publicly doubted whether he belongs in the Kentucky Derby after a lackluster workout this week.

CAN WIN BECAUSE: His breeding suggests he is better than his form has shown, and he likes to sit back and make a run down the stretch, which is beneficial in the Derby.

CAN’T WIN BECAUSE: He hasn’t proven he likes the dirt nearly as much as a synthetic surface, and his breeding shows he may be best on the grass.

General a Rod
PP: 8
Odds: 15-1
Owner: Skychai Racing and Starlight Stables
Trainer: Michael Maker
Jockey: Joel Rosario
Family Tree: Sire: Roman Ruler (Fusaichi Pegasus); Dam: Dynamite Eyes (Dynaformer)

VICTORIES OF NOTE: None.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: Colt with regal bloodlines was sold by J. Armando Rodriguez, who named the horse after himself, on Monday. Rosario, who won last year’s Derby aboard Orb, stays with this colt after riding him to a third-place finish in the Florida Derby.

CAN WIN BECAUSE: Rosario proved he knows how to come up big in the best races. He has shown the speed to keep up with this class, and has an ideal stalking style.

CAN’T WIN BECAUSE: As the distances have increased on the Derby trail, he’s been farther back. Getting the mile-and-a-quarter is a concern.

Vinceremos
PP: 9
Odds: 30-1
Owner: Winstar Farm LLC & Twin Creeks Racing
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: Joe Rococo
Family Tree: Sire: Pioneerof the Nile (Empire Maker); Dam: Kettle’s Sister (More Than Ready)

VICTORIES OF NOTE: Grade 3 Sam F. Davis Stakes.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: Colt comes from the same connections (Pletcher and Winstar) that won the Derby with Super Saver in 2010. After steadily progressing in his first four starts, he threw in a major clunker with a 14th-place finish in the Blue Grass over Keenland’s synthetic surface.

CAN WIN BECAUSE: His form over dirt was good enough to contend here, and he figures to keep improving from here on out.

CAN’T WIN BECAUSE: Coming into the Kentucky Derby after a 14th-place finish is never a good sign.
2014 Kentucky Derby - PreviewsWildcat Red has only been beaten by three-quarters of a length in seven career starts.Rob Carr/Getty Images

Wildcat Red
PP: 10
Odds: 15-1
Owner: Honors Stable Corp
Trainer: Jose Garoffalo
Jockey: Luis Saez
Family Tree: Sire: D’wildcat (Forest Wildcat); Dam: Racene (Miner’s Mark)

VICTORIES OF NOTE: Grade 2 Fountain of Youth.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: Garoffalo, who fled from his native Venezuela in 1998, is seeking his first Derby victory. This front-running Florida Derby runner-up has never been worse than second in his seven-race career, and should sit close to or on the lead tomorrow.

CAN WIN BECAUSE: He’s only been beaten by three-quarters of a length in seven career starts. This colt clearly has a penchant for getting near the lead and staying there.

CAN’T WIN BECAUSE: Getting this distance is a major question mark. This horse seems to be a sprinter, and that doesn’t hold in the Derby.

Dance With Fate
PP: 12
Odds: 20-1
Owner: S. Alesia, Bran Jam Stable & Ciaglia Racing, LLC
Trainer: Peter Eurton
Jockey: Corey Nakatani
Family Tree: Sire: Two Step Salsa (Petionville); Dam: Flirting With Fate (Saint Ballado)

VICTORIES OF NOTE: Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: West Coast horse shipped east to take the Blue Grass with powerful move on the far turn. Florida-bred has never won on dirt, and even trainer Peter Eurton admits the colt’s preferred surface is polytrack.

CAN WIN BECAUSE: He has shown the closing ability that has resulted in past Derby victories. Orb rallied from 17th last year. Giacomo (’05), Street Sense (’07) and Mine That Bird (’09) are other examples.

CAN’T WIN BECAUSE: This race will be run on dirt, not polytrack. In his two starts on dirt, Dance With Fate finished second and a distant eighth.

Chitu
PP: 13
Odds: 20-1
Owner: Tanma Corporation
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Jockey: Martin Garcia
Family Tree: Sire: Henny Hughes (Hennessy); Dam: Sea Gin (A.P. Indy)

VICTORIES OF NOTE: Grade 3 Sunland Derby.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: Baffert’s only entry in this year’s Derby after yesterday’s scratch of second-favorite Hoppertunity will likely sit just off the pace out of the gates and try to stalk from there. Son of Henny Hughes avoided California Chrome to pick up the necessary points to enter this race.

CAN WIN BECAUSE: He has shown steady progression in his two races this year, and you can never count out Baffert in the Derby.

CAN’T WIN BECAUSE: It’s not a good sign when a horse needs to avoid another just to get into this race. He doesn’t have the class of the top contenders here.

Medal Count
PP: 14
Odds: 20-1
Owner: Spendthrift Farm LLC
Trainer: Dale Romans
Jockey: Robby Albarado
Family Tree: Sire: Dynaformer (Roberto); Dam: Brisquette (Unbridled’s Song)

VICTORIES OF NOTE: Grade 3 Transylvania.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: Blue Grass runner-up has found his most success on synthetics and turf. Albarado closed for second with long shot Golden Soul in last year’s Derby, and Romans has a tendency to get on the board in recent Derbys.

CAN WIN BECAUSE: His running style should have him charging late down the stretch, and past history can be what it takes to pull of a Derby upset.

CAN’T WIN BECAUSE: He hasn’t proven he has that same closing kick on the dirt. The weather forecast calls for a fast track, which has been his downfall.
2014 Kentucky DerbyTrainer Steve Asmussen will send Tapiture to the gate for Saturday's Kentucky Derby.Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Tapiture
PP: 15
Odds: 12-1
Owner: Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC
Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Jockey: Ricardo Santana Jr.
Family Tree: Sire: Tapit (Pulpit); Dam: Free Spin (Olympio)

VICTORIES OF NOTE: Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club, Grade 3 Southwest Stakes.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: Son of Tapit, who finished a disappointing ninth in the 2004 Kentucky Derby as the second-choice to Smarty Jones, broke his maiden in a Grade 2 race at Churchill Downs last November. Santana Jr. is seeking his first Derby victory in his first start.

CAN WIN BECAUSE: He found the Churchill track to his liking as a 2-year-old, and Santana Jr. seems to know how to get the best out of this horse.

CAN’T WIN BECAUSE: When he faced this company in the Arkansas Derby, he couldn’t match up in a disappointing fourth-place finish.

Intense Holiday
PP: 16
Odds: 8-1
Owner: Starlight Racing
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: John Velazquez
Family Tree: Sire: Harlan’s Holiday (Harlan); Dam: Intensity (Unbridled’s Song)

VICTORIES OF NOTE: Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: Son of 2002 Derby favorite Harlan’s Holiday will get Pletcher’s top jockey in Velazquez after not having enough of a closing kick to catch Vicar’s in Trouble in the Louisiana Derby. Colt broke his maiden at Monmouth Park on Aug. 31 of last year.

CAN WIN BECAUSE: Velazquez’s choice to take his first ride on this horse in the Derby is a very positive sign. His troubled ride in the Louisiana Derby still resulted in a second-place finish.

CAN’T WIN BECAUSE: He’s likely to sit far back in the pack in the early stages, and it requires a good amount of luck to find your way through a crowded field in the Derby.

Commanding Curve
PP: 17
Odds: 50-1
Owner: West Point Thoroughbreds
Trainer: Dallas Stewart
Jockey: Shaun Bridgmohan
Family Tree: Sire: Master Command (A.P. Indy); Dam: Mother (Lion Hearted)

VICTORIES OF NOTE: None.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: West Point’s secondary entry into the race after the defection of Ring Weekend broke his maiden on his fourth try at Churchill Downs last November with Bridgmohan aboard.

CAN WIN BECAUSE: He’s gotten the most rest of any entrant here, and he’s bred to go this distance.

CAN’T WIN BECAUSE: He hasn’t shown he’s fast enough or capable of beating the rest in this field.

Candy Boy
PP: 18
Odds: 15-1
Owner: C R K Stable
Trainer: John Sadler
Jockey: Gary Stevens
Family Tree: Sire: Candy Ride (Ride the Rails); Dam: She’s An Eleven (In Excess)

VICTORIES OF NOTE: Grade 2 Bob and Beverly Lewis Stakes.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: Shipper from the West Coast broke his maiden over the synthetic surface, but has since proven he can run on the dirt as well. Stevens, who shocked the Preakness field with Oxbow last year, is seeking his fourth Derby victory and first since 1997 with Silver Charm.

CAN WIN BECAUSE: His past performances suggest he has a versatile running style that will be a huge benefit in the Derby. The veteran Stevens can likely use that to his advantage.

CAN’T WIN BECAUSE: He was a very distant third to California Chrome in the Santa Anita Derby, and it’s tough to see him making up that ground in this race.

We used to sneak into the trotter races in high school where you were suppose to be 21 to bet. I would bet everybody's bet, and I often would be a bit nervous, and once bet the wrong horse on about a two hundred dollar winner, and needless to say, they found somebody else in the group after my screw up to place bets, but I always thought that the races were crooked as I knew an owner of a trotter and he told our group not to bet the horse....and we did not and it won.........always seemed a bit crooked and fixed, but heck it was fun.

It was not funny when I made the wrong bet.....they were pissed. I guess I could have written everything down, but I always had an excellent memory, but when you are 17 trying to act like you are 21 to buy tickets for everyone......I guess I found out that I was capable of a choke, at an early age, but you learn from your mistakes. I love watching folks at Greyhound bet and react........not much of a horse or dog bettor, but a few bucks and watching the races can be fun.

I shared office space with a horse owner who ALWAYS would go to the derby and make a big deal about the same......mint julips and the whole shaaabang.

Horses and dogs are fun but I dont really get into much gambling except Craps. I used to play a lot of Poker in the Army but I lost interest after I got out. I really like the action and the fast pace of Craps. I could easily lose my ass playing it. I stay way from it because I KNOW I can win. LOL You really have problem when you think like that.