Through Rain Splattered Goggles at Churchill. "Turf & Dirt" Top 21 for 4.26.2011

Through the raindrops, the Derby picture is becoming clearer. Out are THE FACTOR and JP'S GUSTO... in are SHACKLEFORD and TWINSPIRED.
The entries basically boil down to earnings and defections. As for picking the favorites, that is still a very muddy picture.
Silver Medallion and Anthony's Cross are on the bubble. With the way this year is going, my guess is they get in.

In the "never trust a trainer' category, Uncle Mo took to the track this morning at 5:45, despite the announced 8:30 work time. Something just doesn't seem right with hiding a Derby colt in darkness from photographers and reporters.

Of those who took to the track, none looked better than SHACKLEFORD. He seems to now be in the Derby with enough earnings. This son of FORESTRY is steadily improving. He looks big and muscular and is training beautifully after running second in the Florida Derby, and 5th in the Fountain of Youth before that. 
I'm going to put him in the "Turf & Dirt Top 21" at #5. Very impressive looking colt!

Shackleford gallops at Churchill Downs. Photo: Matt Wooley/EquiSport Photos 1/800 @ f/3.5, iso 1000, 300mm, -1/3 EV

 ARCHARCHARCH was the best of the rest to gallop Tuesday. His question mark is distance. The ARCH colt nearly run down in the final strides of the Louisiana Derby by NEHRO. I'm going to put him in as T&D #4 this week.

 

Archarcharch at Churchill Downs 4.26.2011. Photo: Wendy Wooley/EquiSport Photos 1/1250 @f/4, iso 1600, 500mm

Rank HORSE (Sire)
1 DIALED IN (Mineshaft)
2 NEHRO (Mineshaft)
3 TOBY'S CORNER (Bellamy Road)
4 ARCHARCHARCH (Arch)
5 SHACKLEFORD (Forestry)
6 UNCLE MO (Indian Charlie)
7 MUCHO MACHO MAN (Macho Uno)
8 MIDNIGHT INTERLUDE (War Chant)
9 SOLDAT (War Front)
10 MASTER OF HOUNDS (Kingmambo)
11 PANTS ON FIRE (Jump Start)
12 ANIMAL KINGDOM (Leroidesanimeaux)
13 STAY THIRSTY (Bernardini)
14 SANTIVA (Giant's Causeway)
15 COMMA TO THE TOP (Bwana Charlie)
16 BRILLIANT SPEED (Dynaformer)
17 DECISIVE MOMENT (With Distinction)
18 TWICE THE APPEAL (Successful Appeal)
19 WATCH ME GO (West Acre)
20 TWINSPIRED (Harlan's Holiday)
21 SILVER MEDALLION (Badge of Silver)

Zito has it Dialed In, "DERBY TOP 21" for 4.04.2011

Spotting the field 14 lengths going into the back stretch, DIALED IN proved this skeptic wrong by winning the Florida Derby in dramatic last-to-first fashion. The Mineshaft colt reeled in the frontrunners in the turn, and in what proved to be a well timed run, got up by a head over longshot SHACKLEFORD. DIALED IN moves up a spot to the "Top 21" #3.

Dialed In gets up over Shackleford, 4.03.2011. Photo: Joe Ganley?EquiSport Photos 1/1000 @ f/5.6, iso 1000, 85mm

Julien Leparoux rode the winner, letting him relax early. “It was a solid pace and that definitely helped. I just left him alone out of the gate and started to catch up around the second turn," Leparoux said afterwards. He went on to say Dialed In's previous race, a second place finish in an Allowance against older horses, was a good learning experience. "I think his last race really helped him today. I loved his last race. It was a very good learning race. He learned to run between horses and take dirt in his face, and it all paid off today,”

What was disappointing about Dialed In's performance? The last quarter was run in a pedestrian 13 4/5. So what appeared to be a nice run for the wire, was actually the rest of the field quitting. I would hardly call it a breakout performance. Still Dialed In moves forward only because, once again this year, everybody else is backing up.

Behind the top 2 in the Florida Derby, it was 6 lengths back to TO HONOR AND SERVE, who drops like a rock to "Top 21" #15.  It was 1 more back to FLASHPOINT who moves to "Top 21" #21 and still needs earnings. The biggest disappointment was Uncle Mo's stable mate STAY THIRSY , who tired for 7th place and tumbles down to "Top 21" #16.
You've got to include surprise runner-up SHACKLEFORD the Derby picture now. With $212,000, he currently sits at 19th on the earnings list. I'll put him in the "Top 21" at #11.

No one has impressed me more this year than PREMIER PEGASUS, with his eye popping performance in the San Felipe. He continues to train brilliantly towards the Santa Anita Derby, Saturday, April 9th. I'm going to give him the top spot this week "Top 21" at #1.

Premier Pegasus with Alonso Quinonez up, 4.02.2011. Photo: Alex Evers/EquiSport Photos 1/1600 @ f/3.2 iso 640, 400mm

Myung Kwon Cho and son Raxon. Photo: AE/EquiSport

Trainer Myung Kwon Cho is hoping to add to Premier Pegasus' earnings with a strong showning in the Santa Anita Derby, he is currently #18.
Top competition will come from JAYCITO ("Top 21" #4), ANTHONY'S CROSS ("Top 21" #8) and SILVER MEDALLION ("Top 21" #12).







THE WORD,  "DERBY TOP 21" for 4.04.2011
(Performance and Earnings Based..... and maybe a Dash of Pedigree)

Rank HORSE (Sire)
1 PREMIER PEGASUS (Fusaichi Pegasus)
2 UNCLE MO (Indian Charlie)
3 DIALED IN (Mineshaft)
4 JAYCITO (Victory Gallop)
5 THE FACTOR (War Front)
6 MUCHO MACHO MAN (Macho Uno)
7 SANTIVA (Giant's Causeway)
8 ANTHONY'S CROSS (Indian Charlie)
9 ASTROLOGY (AP Indy)
10 PANTS ON FIRE (Jump Start)
11 SHACKLEFORD (Forestry)
12 SILVER MEDALLION (Badge of Silver)
13 ANIMAL KINGDOM (Leroidesanimeaux)
14 SOLDAT (War Front)
15 TO HONOR AND SERVE (Bernardini)
16 STAY THIRSTY (Bernardini)
17 TWICE THE APPEAL (Successful Appeal)
18 MASTER OF HOUNDS (Kingmambo)
19 JP'S GUSTO (Successful Appeal)
20 DECISIVE MOMENT (With Distinction)
21 FLASHPOINT (Pomeroy)