Contenders

Todd Pletcher

A native of Dallas, TX, Pletcher grew up around Thoroughbred racing as his father, Jake Pletcher, trained Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds. After graduating from the University of Arizona with a degree in animal science, he went to work for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas. He stayed with Lukas for six years, eventually becoming his main East Coast assistant trainer. Pletcher went out on his own in 1996 and he currently trains for such powerhouse owners as: Michael Tabor of Coolmore, Aaron and Marie Jones, Padua Stables, and Eugene Melnyk. In less than 10 years, Pletcher has conditioned such top-class performers as Ashado, Bluegrass Cat, Left Bank, Speightstown, Strong Hope, Forest Danger, Flower Alley, Balto Star and others. While he has been very successful since taking out his license, 2006 was yet another banner year for the Pletcher stable. He set a season earnings record in 2005 with his horses winning more than $20.8 million in purses, surpassing the previous record of $19.1 million set by Hall of Famer Bobby Frankel. Pletcher recently won the 2006 Eclipse as the nation's top trainer, his third win in a row. After going winless with his first 12 Breeders' Cup starters, Pletcher won two races in the event in 2004: the Sprint with Speightstown, and the Distaff with Kentucky Oaks champ Ashado. Both would also go on to be Eclipse winners in their respective divisions. Pletcher's best Derby finishers to date are the aforementioned Bluegrass Cat and Invisible Ink, second in 2006 and 2001, respectively, and a fourth with Limehouse in 2004.

Garrett Gomez

Garrett Gomez was born on January 1, 1972. A native of Tucson, he now lives in southern California, where he rides on the circuit. He began riding at Santa Fe Downs in 1988, riding the midwest fair circuit before moving to California in 1998. He won the autumn Hollywood riding title that same year. He also has ridden for a time at Churchill Downs, where he was based before a self-imposed sabbatical in 2002 due to substance abuse problems. Returning to the saddle in September, 2004, Gomez has enjoyed tremendous succes, including winning the 2005 spring/summer Hollywood meet title. He's won major races for the last twelve years, including Arkansas Derby, the Secretariat, the Pacific Classic and the 2005 Breeders' Cup Mile and Juvenile. Gomez became Pletcher's go-to rider when John Velazquez was injured during the 2006 Keeneland spring meet. A winner of over 2,000 races for his career, Gomez tallied 261 wins and $20.1 million in earnings, which was tops in the nation, last year. His best finish in three Derby starts was a seventh aboard Southern Rhythym in 1994.

WinStar Farm, Maverick Racing and Padua Stable

WinStar Farm is a Thoroughbred racing and breeding operation located in Versailles, Ky that is owned by Bill Casner (pictured) and Kenny Troutt. Casner grew up in El Paso, Texas. In 1963, at the age of 15, he started galloping horses at Sunland Park. He put him self through college at Tarleton State University by galloping throughbreds, including champion Cho Croute. Upon graduation Casner embarked on a training career in the midwest. In 1979 Casner left the Thoroughbred industry. He and Troutt founded Excel Communications. Casner re-entered racing in the mid 1990’s through various partnerships. Mr. Casner is currently chairman of the board for the Thoroughbred Owner Breeders Association, vice chairman and co-founder of the Kentucky Equine Education Project (KEEP), and he serves on the board of trustees for Breeders' Cup. He was also a founding board member for The Race For Education Inc., a national scholarship foundation that provides educational opportunities to children of racing’s backside workers and farm workers. Mr. Casner, his wife Susan and their daughter Kayce are residents of Flower Mound, Texas. WinStar farm encompasses approximately 1450 acres after current development is completed the farm will include 10 barns, a state of the art foaling complex, a newly renovated stallion complex and training barn and research lab. The farm is home to the stallions Tiznow, Speightstown, Distorted Humor, Victory Gallop, and Our Emblem. WinStar has campaigned the stakes winners Awesome Humor, License Fee, Mr. Mellon solely or in partnerships and bred 2003 Derby and Preakness winner Funny Cide. They had their first Derby starter in 2006, when Bluegrass Cat was second to Barbaro. Up until the spring of 2005, WinStar employed Elliott Walden as their trainer. Walden retired from training to take a position at WinStar, and at that time the horses were spread among a variety of trainers, including Todd Pletcher.

Racehorse Management, LLC

Coming Soon

Any Given Saturday is by 2002’s leading freshman sire Distorted Humor, a son of Forty Niner and a descendant of the Raise A native sire line who solidified his status as a sire when his son Funny Cide won the 2003 Kentucky Derby and was voted champion colt the same year. He stands stud at the WinStar Farm. All of Distorted Humor's five stakes wins came at a mile or less, topped by the Grade II Commonwealth Breeders' Cup. He is the sire of six crops and 45 black type winners to date, including multiple graded stakes winner Flower Alley (Travers (GI) and Lane's End (GII)); Whitney Handicap (GI) Commentator; Grade I Spinaway winner Awesome Humor; and Grade II Astarita winner Humorous Lady. He also has sired top 3-year-olds in Forty Grams and Cowtown Cat, the latter also in Todd Pletcher's barn. Distorted Humor, like other recent Derby winners' sires, was at his best racing around the one mile distance, but his offspring have proven to be able to go a distance of ground, as witnessed by Flower Alley and Funny Cide.

Any Given Saturday is sure to get some stamina from his dam Weekend in Indy, daughter of 1992 Horse of the Year A. P. Indy. She has had one other foal to race, the multiple stakes winning filly Bohemian Lady. Also trained by Pletcher, Bohemian Lady got better as the races got longer, finishing second in her lone race (Ladies Handicap) at 1 1/4 miles. Weekend in Indy won just once in 11 starts, but is out of the stakes winning and producing mare Whow. That makes her a half-sister to Second of June, winner of the 2004 Holy Bull (GIII) and second in the Woodward (GI), Oaklawn Handicap (GII) and Fountain of Youth (GII). Whow also is the dam of Jack Flash, second in the Jim Beam (GII), now Lane's End Spiral, at Turfway Park. Whow herself won a pair stakes in the midwest and is a half-sister to Afifa, winner and track record-setter in the nine furlong Vanity (GI). In addition, Afifa's daughter Foufa has produced five stakes winners. This family also traces back to 2-year-old filly champ Phone Chatter and 2007 Lost in the Fog Juvenile winner Half Famous.

Any Given Saturday is a complete outcross in his first four generations, but both of his maternal grandparents trace back to Bold Ruler (through Secretariat and Spectacular Bid). With Distorted Humor becoming well-established as a sire of route horses, and the multiple stamina influences on Any Given Saturday's female side, he should have no problem with the Derby's ten furlongs. Dosage Index: 2.67 - by Mark Hoard

ANY GIVEN SATURDAY took a slight step backward when 3^rd in the Wood Memorial last out. That will only serve to help the price. He has shown since his career debut that he is an immensely talented horse, and trainer Todd Pletcher certainly has him ready for his best effort. He has lost two of three this year, but one defeat was to Street Sense when that one just nosed him out on the wire. He ran a strong 2^nd in a Grade 2 last fall at Churchill, so there is reason to believe that he likes the surface. The wide post is a concern, but Any Given Saturday is no stranger to being way off the rail. He is by Distorted Humor, who has already sired a Derby winner in Funny Cide. So you know the breeding is right. John Velazquez chooses stablemate Circular Quay instead of this guy, but Garret Gomez is no slouch. There is a lot to like, and he should be 12-1 or higher. Major player.