Wire Players Kentucky Derby Derby Poll Volume 5 and Video Recap of Key Races

Revolutionary winning The Withers

Friends, we are getting to about that time: With 23 days and 20 hours to go until The Kentucky Derby, we know just about everything we need to know about the runners from their body of work racing, sans the Arkansas Derby and Blue Grass Stakes combatants, and now it comes down to pedigree analysis, workout tabs and manic clocker reports, and idiot bald bloggers, specifically yours truly, ye' Ol Turk, to wax poetic about the runners and to try and make sense of twenty or less horses running farther than they have ever run before. I'm not sure it gets any better than this!

It's been a few years since I have enjoyed the Derby Trail as much as I have enjoyed this one.  We've lost a few good runners to injury: Violence looked so impressive winning the Futurity at Hollywood, and we lost Shanghai Bobby, the Breeders' Cup Juvenile champion, who in the new system was forced to run and his form exposed. I think overall we've seen parity, what some may call mediocrity, but not I.  Too often in our society we call things brilliant.  We are quick to label things as great.  We should be more frugal with the term or it becomes watered down.  Those stooges at ESPN that follow the ball sports label something as special or brilliant every day: its thier business to hype things, but at the same time they do that, they dilute the previous things they labeled the same. None of these runners are brilliant, special, or amazing yet.  As one Stephen Patrick Morrissey once said, "...you just haven't earned it yet, baby."

Win the Kentucky Derby, then I'll consider you elite.  Win the Preakness and you will win horse of the year.  Win the Triple Crown, I'll call you brilliant.  I'll label you magnificent.  You'll be the next horse on my wall of fame. 

All that said, Revolutionary has impressed me.  I like the way he has handled traffic and shown a killer instinct.  Oxbow and Goldencents have impressed me for thier guts. Verrazano and Orb have answered the bell when needed.  I like Normandy Invasion with the extra route of dirt in front of him.  As usual, I have no clue who will win the Kentucky Derby, but I am starting to see the race unfold, the pace, and I'm feelin' the Super High Five, my favorite bet just calling my name. 

The Turk is headed to The Preakness this year.  I'm bullish on the rest of the racing season and I'm looking forward to following these horses the rest of the year.

Let's get it on!  I present to you the latest WirePlayers.com Derby Dozen Poll.  Thanks to Steve and the gang, it's a real pleasure working with this group. 




Santa Anita Derby: Goldencents



Wood Memorial: Verrazano



Louisiana Derby: Revolutionary



UAE Derby: Lines of Battle



Florida Derby: Orb



Sunland Derby: Governor Charlie



Spiral Stakes: Black Onyx



Rebel Stakes: Will Take Charge