Derby Blogs

For a guy who once had four legitimate Derby contenders, trainer Doug O’Neill has surprisingly been off the radar most of the week.

The wise withdrawal of Merv Griffin’s Cobalt Blue yesterday and an injury to Notional leaves O’Neil with two Derby entrants: Great Hunter and Liquidity. Both aren’t getting much respect by handicappers and the media. Many horseplayers, including myself, lost confidence in Great Hunter after his troubled fifth-place finish in the Blue Grass.

But when I see Great Hunter in person, I find it hard to leave off my tickets (I know, a recurring theme of my blogs). I’ve seen him gallop at both Keeneland and Churchill this week. Both times he looked regal, his next arched as he galloped along powerfully. A son of Aptitude, he has the true look of a mile and a quarter horse. It’s surprising to look in the past performances and see he won going five furlongs as a juvenile.

Liquidity will be a huge longshot off flops in the Louisiana and Santa Anita Derbies.

Surprising, O’Neill still stands by an earlier comment he made to Daily Racing Form.

“On any given day, I think he could shock the world,” he says. “The talent is there.”

The horse O’Neill fears the most on Saturday? "Street Sense, "he told a small group of reporters in front of his barn.

“If I had Street Sense there would be 100 of you here,” he joked.