Kentucky Derby - Dark Horses

Kentucky Derby Candidates

These remaining dozen longshots (in alphabetical order) will be looking to light up the toteboard in the 135th running of the Kentucky Derby on May 2

Advice

• Trainer: Todd Pletcher
• Jockey: Undecided
• Owner: WinStar Farm
• Sire: Chapel Royal
• Dam: Word o' Wisdom
• Record: 6-2-0-2
• Career earnings: $261,885
• Last Start: Won Lexington Stakes (G2)
• Odds from Pool 3 of Derby Future Wager: 17/1 (part of field)

Comments: A late entrant into the Derby picture with his win in the Lexington…The colt has only raced on dirt once in his career, a fifth place finish in the Sunland Derby…Pletcher seeking to end his goose egg in the Derby, but has a better shot with Dunkirk…The mare Word o' Wisdom has three foals to race to date and all are winners. Advice is her first stakes winner…The colt was purchased for $68,000 at the July 2007 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky yearling sale…

Flying Private

• Trainer: D. Wayne Lukas
• Jockey: Robby Albarado
• Owner: Grand Slam Farm
• Sire: Fusaichi Pegasus
• Dam: Beautiful Treasure
• Record: 10-1-4-0
• Career earnings: $193,080
• Last Start: Fifth place in Arkansas Derby (G2)
• Odds from Pool 3 of Derby Future Wager: 77/1

Comments: Hall of fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas is a four time Derby winner: (Winning Colors (1988), Thunder Gulch (1995), Grindstone (1996), Charismatic (1999)…The colt has only one win in ten career starts, his best effort a runner up finish in the Lane's End at Turfway over poly…The colt was 2007 a Keeneland September yearling purchase for $700,000…His sire Fusaichi Pegasus won the 2000 Derby and the mare was stakes placed…It will be a stretch to find this guy in the mix and his odds will show that…

Hold Me Back

• Trainer: Bill Mott
• Jockey: Kent Desormeaux
• Owner: WinStar Farm
• Sire: Giant's Causeway
• Dam: Restraint
• Record: 5-3-1-0
• Career earnings: $487,274
• Last Start: Second in Blue Grass Stakes (G1)
• Odds from Pool 3 of Derby Future Wager: 24/1

Comments: The Bill Mott trainee is coming into the Derby in fine fettle, coming off a solid second in the Blue Grass (G1) after winning the Lane's End (G2) two back at Turfway…The colt has only raced on conventional dirt once in his career and it produced his worst effort, a fifth place finish in the Remsen (G3) last fall…The son of Giant's Causeway was a $400,000 purchase at the 2007 Keeneland September yearling sale…He is out of a unraced Unbridled's Song mare that has dropped four other foals to race, all winners including the stakes placed Maria Pia…Mott started a pair in last year's Derby, Court Vision (13th) and Z Humor (14th)…Jockey Kent Desormeaux has three Derby wins on his resume, the last coming aboard Big Brown last year…

Mine That Bird

• Trainer: B.L. Wooley Jr.
• Jockey: Calvin Borel
• Owner: Double Eagle Ranch & Bueno Suerte
• Sire: Birdstone
• Dam: Mining My Own
• Record: 8-4-1-0
• Career earnings: $374,381
• Last Start: Fourth in Sunland Derby
• Odds from Pool 3 of Derby Future Wager 17/1 (part of field)

Comments: Sunland Park is usually not the stepping stone to winning the Derby, but that is what this colt will be trying…The gelding missed wining the Borderland Derby by a neck, then was fourth in his last start in the Sunland Derby…Trainer Chip Wooley will be saddling his first Derby starter with this gelding, and employs veteran jockey Calvin Borel, who won the Derby in 2007 aboard Street Sense for trainer Carl Nafzger…The gelding is a son of Birdstone, best remembered for ending the Triple Crown bid of Smarty Jones in 2004…The unraced mare is by Smart Strike, giving this gelding a solid pedigree to be able to handle the distance…

Mr. Hot Stuff

• Trainer: Eoin Harty
• Jockey: Undecided
• Owner: WinStar Farm
• Sire: Tiznow
• Dam: Sweet Damsel
• Record: 7-1-0-3
• Career earnings: $150,560
• Last Start: Third in Santa Anita Derby (G1)
• Odds from Pool 3 of Derby Future Wager: 96/1

Comments: This guy was third in his last two starts in the Sham (G3) and Santa Anita Derby (G1), and is another runner that is flying under the radar…He is trained by former Bob Baffert assistant Eoin Harty, who knows his way around a talented three year old…The colt is by two time Breeders'' Cup Classic winner Tiznow out of the Turkoman mare Sweet Damsel, making him a full brother top Colonel John, who went down the Derby Trail last year…The colt was a $200,000 purchase at the 2007 Keeneland September yearling sale…The colt has just a maiden win in seven career starts and has not raced over conventional dirt…

Musket Man

• Trainer: Derek Ryan
• Jockey: Eibar Coa
• Owner: Eric Fein & Vic Carlson
• Sire: Yonaguska
• Dam: Fortuesque
• Record: 6-5-0-1
• Career earnings: $572,600
• Last Start: Won Illinois Derby (G2)
• Odds from Pool 3 of Derby Future Wager: 25/1

Comments: This colt is trying to parlay the Illinois Derby (G2) win into a win on Derby Day, which was done by War Emblem in 2002…The colt was a bargain, purchased for just $15,000 at the 2007 Keeneland September yearling sale…The colt is by Grade 1 winner Yonaguska out of the Fortunate Prospect mare Fortuesque, who was stakes placed and has produced five other winners…The colt is trained by Irish bred Derek Ryan, his first Derby starter…Jockey Eibar Coa rode the colt for the first time last out and retains the mount…Coa finished fourth in last year's Derby with Tale of Ekati…

Papa Clem

• Trainer: Gary Stute
• Jockey: Rafael Bejarano
• Owner: Bo Hirsch
• Sire: Smart Strike
• Dam: Miss Houdini
• Record: 6-2-2-0
• Career earnings: $790,940
• Last Start: Won Arkansas Derby (G2)
• Odds from Pool 3 of Derby Future Wager: 47/1

Comments: This colt is coming off a win in the Arkansas Derby (G2), a race that should be a Grade 1 and recent winners of that race include Curlin, Afleet Alex, Smarty Jones, and Lawyer Ron…He made his first four career starts on synthetic surfaces but has made the transition to dirt…The colt is by Smart Strike out of the Belong to Me mare Miss Houdini, a Grade 1 winner…The colt is trained by veteran horseman Gary Stute, the son of long time Southern California based Mel Stute…Rafael Bejarano, who is tearing up the Southern California circuit is looking for his first Derby win, 0 for 4 with his previous mounts…

Regal Ransom

• Trainer: Saeed bin Suroor
• Jockey: Alan Garcia
• Owner: Godolphin
• Sire: Distorted Humor
• Dam: Kelli's Ransom
• Record: 5-2-2-0
• Career earnings: $1,297,200
• Last Start: Won UAE Derby (G2)
• Odds from Pool 3 of Derby Future Wager: 42/1

Comments: The colt beat Desert Party in the UAE Derby (G2) last out in Dubai, and that effort earned him a trip to the U.S. for the Derby…The $675,000 purchase is by Distorted Humor, the sire of 2003 Derby winner Funny Cide…The mare Kelli's Ransom, by Red Ransom, who started four times in her career, all on turf…Jockey Alan Garcia rode him to victory in his last start and will be making his first start in the Derby. The jockey won the Belmont Stakes last year aboard Da' Tara…

Square Eddie

• Trainer: Doug O'Neill
• Jockey: Corey Nakatani
• Owner: Paul Reddam
• Sire: Smart Strike
• Dam: Forty Gran
• Record: 8-2-3-2
• Career earnings: $817,366
• Last Start: Third in Lexington Stakes (G2)
• Odds from Pool 3 of Derby Future Wager: 17/1 (part of field)

Comments: This colt is playing catch up, making just his third start this year and second since January. He came off a three month layoff last out to finish third in the Lexington Stakes (G2) at Keeneland over polytrack…The colt made his first four career starts overseas and immediately was a Derby contender after a very impressive win in the Breeders' Futurity (G1) last fall at Keeneland, followed by a runner up finish in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1)…The colt was purchased at the 2007 Keeneland September yearling sale for $200,000…His is by Smart Strike out of the stakes placed Forty Gran…Trainer Doug O'Neill is looking for his first Derby win. His best shot may have come in 2006, as he trained champion two-year-old Stevie Wonderboy for Merv Griffin, but an injury took the colt off the Derby Trail early that spring…

Summer Bird

• Trainer: Tim Ice
• Jockey: Chris Rosier
• Owner: Kalarikkal Jayaraman & Vilasini
• Sire: Birdstone
• Dam: Hong Kong Song
• Record: 3-1-0-1
• Career earnings: $123,040
• Last Start: Third in Arkansas Derby (G2)
• Odds from Pool 3 of Derby Future Wager: 17/1 (part of field)

Comments: This colt comes into the Derby off just three career starts, his last outing his best, a third place finish in the Arkansas Derby (G2), his first start against winners…The colt is by Birdstone out of the Summer Squall mare Hong Kong Squall, who has produced three other route winners…Trainer Tim Ice just went out on his own last year after serving stints as an assistant trainer for Cole Norman, Keith Desormeaux, and Morris Nicks…Jockey Chris Rosier returned to riding last year after missing time with an injury and being diagnosed with diabetes…His ride aboard this colt in the Arkansas Derby (G2) was his first mount in a graded stake…

West Side Bernie

• Trainer: Kelly Breen
• Jockey: Stewart Elliott
• Owner: George & Lori Hall
• Sire: Bernstein
• Dam: Time Honored
• Record: 7-2-2-1
• Career earnings: $407,360
• Last Start: Second in Wood Memorial (G1)
• Odds from Pool 3 of Derby Future Wager: 17/1 (part of field)

Comments: The colt as the beaten favorite in the Lane's End two back and rebounded with a solid second last out in the Wood Memorial (G1)…The colt is trained by New Jersey based Kelly Breen, who has won a couple of training titles at Monmouth Park and formerly was an assistant trainer for Ben Perkins…Jockey Stewart Elliott won the Derby in 2004 aboard Smarty Jones…The colt was a $50,000 purchase at the 2007 Keeneland September yearling sale…The colt is coming up on the light pedigree wise to get the 1 ¼ miles. He is by Bernstein out of the Gilded Time mare Time Honored, her first foal to race…

Win Willy

• Trainer: McLean Robertson
• Jockey: M.C. Berry
• Owner: Jer-Mar Stable
• Sire: Monachos
• Dam: City Fair
• Record: 5-3-0-0
• Career earnings: $260,070
• Last Start: Fourth in Arkansas Derby (G2)
• Odds from Pool 3 of Derby Future Wager: 16/1

Comments: A $25,000 purchase at the 2007 Keeneland September yearling sale, this colt comes into the Derby off a fourth place finish in the Arkansas Derby (G2)…The colt lit up the tote board in the Rebel Stakes (G2), winning at 56/1…The colt is by 2001 Derby winner Monarchos out of the Carson City mare City Fair, a stakes winner who earned $299,527…Trainer Mac Robertson picked up his first stakes win in the Rebel. The trainer is the son of veteran trainer Hugh Robertson, a long time conditioner on the Chicago circuit…Jockey Cliff Berry is a regular rider at Lone Star Park and Remington Park and makes his Derby debut this year…