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)

"Soldat Stamps Ticket" - Derby Top 21 for February 28th.

SOLDAT made a nice move in the Fountain of Youth, jumping from post position #1, to take the early lead into the clubhouse turn. He never looked back, stamping himself as a legitimate Derby contender.
The front running style was reminiscent of THE FACTOR, another War Front colt.

Soldat wins the Fountain of Youth. Photo: Joe Ganley/EquiSport Photos 1/1000 @ f//4, iso 500, 200mm

Soldat, trained by Kiaran McLaughlin and ridden by Alan Garcia, won for the first time on a fast dirt track. A point that had raised a few question marks.
“Going into the race, I wasn’t concerned about that at all. He’s always trained extremely well over a fast track, but it is nice to finally get it in print that he likes it fast,” McLaughlin said the day after the race.

 So what I'm trying to figure out, from my Monday morning quarterback chair, is why do I have Soldat at #5 and The Factor at #21? Both colts, graduated from Allowance company, to won in gate to wire fashion in their first Stakes race.
The big question is the pedigree... can the War Front colts make the classic distance.
Soldat's performance was certainly the more visually impressive in winning the Fountain of Youth, setting reasonable fractions and drawing away in the stretch. The Factor, in contrast, set suicidal early splits, and just held on at the wire to a fast closing SWAY AWAY in the San Vicente.
We would hope for the question to be answered in the next starts by these two, Soldat is bound for the Florida Derby, while The Factor's next start appears to be the Sunland Derby. Hmm... will the Sunland Derby really tell us anything?

GOURMET DINNER also proved he belongs in the Derby conversation with a nice 2nd place in the FOY under Ramon Dominguez. Having won the Delta Jackpot Stakes, and accumulating enough graded earnings last year, one could only wonder if the qualifying criteria should be changed. But much to the credit of trainer Steve Standridge, the Trippi colt has shown up to gamely challenge his peers. 

TO HONOR AND SERVE seemed to get enough out of the race to continue forwardly. With already plenty of graded earnings, the son of Bernardini made good use of his first start since the Remson last November. He appeared in good form finishing 3rd in the Fountain of Youth, ridden by John Velazquez.

To Honor and Serve finished 3rd in Fountain of Youth. Photo: Jessie Holmes/EquiSport Photos 1/1000 @ f/4, iso 640, 140mm

DERBY TRAIL TOP 21
Rank Horse (Sire)
1 UNCLE MO (Indian Charlie)
2 DIALED IN (Mineshaft)
3 MUCHO MACHO MAN (Macho Uno)
4 TO HONOR AND SERVE (Bernardini)
5 SOLDAT (War Front)
6 BRETHREN (Distorted Humor)
7 GOURMET DINNER (Trippi)
8 JAYCITO (Victory Gallop)
9 STAY THIRSTY (Bernardini)
10 SANTIVA (Giant's Causeway)
11 SWAY AWAY (Afleet Alex)
12 ARCHARCHARCH (Arch)
13 ROGUE ROMANCE (Smarty Jones)
14 ASTROLOGY (AP Indy)
15 ANTHONY'S CROSS (Indian Charlie)
16 TOBY'S CORNER (Bellamy Road)
17 FLASHPOINT (Pomeroy)
18 SILVER MEDALLION (Badge of Silver)
19 WILKINSON (Lemon Drop Kid)
20 JP'S GUSTO (Successful Appeal)
21 THE FACTOR (War Front)

That's it for now... mw.