Contenders

Doug O'Neill

O'Neill, 38, is a Michigan native and currently resides in Santa Monica California with his wife and son. He began working at the track in 1986, learning under trainers Richard Mandella, Doug Peterson, and Hector Palma for eight years before going on his own in 1994. He has been the leading trainer at Fairplex and Hollywood Park, where he is currently based. He is well-known for his ability to move horses up off the claim, as he did with Fleetstreet Dancer, winning the 2003 Japan Dirt Cup at 48-1 after claiming the horse for $40,000 in 2002. He had a great 2005, winning 158 and over $9.4 million in purses to rank fifth nationally. He's been the leading trainer multiple times at Hollywood Park, Santa Anita, Del Mar, and Fairplex Park. O'Neill has yet to have a Derby starter.

Corey Nakatani

Nakatani, 35, is a native of Covina, California. He was introduced to racing at age 16 by his father, who was a Japanese-American born in a WWII internment camp and spent time at Santa Anita when it was a relocation camp. Corey began galloping and breaking horses for the legendary Johnny Longden, and began riding in 1988 at Caliente Racetrack, moving to Southern California the next year. He has been a fixture on the southern California circuit since, winning riding titles at Santa Anita, Hollywood, Del Mar and Oak Tree. While he hasn't won the Derby in his eleven tries, he has won the Kentucky Oaks twice: 1991 on Lite Light and 1996 on Pike Place Dancer. He also teamed up with trainer Craig Dollase to win the 1998 Breeders' Cup Sprint at Churchill Downs with Reraise. He is married to Craig Dollase's sister Michelle.

J. Paul Reddam

Reddam, a native of Ontario, Canada, has had much success since he became involved with racing in the '80's. He has a PH.D. in Philosophy, and he formed his first racing syndicates with standardbreds some 20 years ago while teaching the same at Cal State University in Los Angeles. Has 40 or so horses in training with several different trainers. His filly Elloluv has earned over $1 million, finishing second in the 2003 Breeders' Cup Distaff (GI); Traver's (GI) winner Ten Most Wanted was one of the favorites for Derby 129. Reddam currently lives in Laguna Beach, CA and is the President of Cash Call, a consumer loan company. He also bought 75% of Wilko, the 2004 Breeders' Cup Juvenile (GI) champ, in October, 2004.

Ivy Dell Stud (PA)

Ivy Dell Farm is owned by Philip and Candace Fanning. Philip has been a horse afficiando his entire life, competing as an amateur steeplechase jockey in the 1950's. He became involved with racing and breeding Thoroughbreds some 40 years ago through the family of his late wife Jill. He managed a substantial broodmare operation until recently distpersing most of his stock. Great Hunter would be his first Kentucky Derby horse.

Great Hunter is a son of Aptitude, runner-up in both the 2000 Kentucky Derby (GI) and Belmont Stakes (GI) at three and winner of both the Jockey Club Gold Cup (GI) and Hollywood Gold Cup (GI) the following year. His first foals were 3-year-olds of 2006, and that crop got off to a good start with Steppenwolfer, his first and only Derby horse who was third to Barbaro. He wound up fifth on the 2006 leading second-crop sire list in terms of lifetime progeny earnings. He is also the sire of a pair of stakes winners in Outperformance (Hill Prince GIII) and Amandatude (Polly's Jet Stakes). Aptitude is a three-quarter brother to Slew of Gold, the a two-time champion and winner of over $3.5 million that excelled in races at the Derby distance. At age four, Aptitude took a trio of graded stakes at 1 1/4 miles: Jockey Club Gold Cup (GI), Hollywood Gold Cup (GI), and Saratoga Breeders' Cup (GII).

Great Hunter is out of Zenith; he is her second foal and lone winner to date. The Virginia-bred Zenith won over $205,000 in her 24 starts, taking the Gala Lil Stakes and also running second in the nine furlong Gardenia (GIII) at Ellis Park. She was outdone on the track by her half-sister I'm Out First, winner of greater than $400,000, four stakes and a third in the Sixty Sails (GIII). It is interesting to note that Northern Dancer and Buckpasser appear in the same "formation" on both female sides of Great Hunter's pedigree, with Buckpasser, at 4x5, one generation removed from the 1964 Derby winner. Essentially, both Aptitude and Zenith can trace their female lines back to the pair, two of the greatest horses of the latter half of the 20th century. Dosage Index: 3.00 - by Mark Hoard

GREAT HUNTER was slated to be one of the Derby favorites before his 5^th place finish in the Blue Grass Stakes. He has mild trouble that day, but his rider claimed he was done before the incident and would not have won. He is trying to win the Derby off of just two starts in six months, one of which was a win over a weak field in the Robert Lewis Stakes. He finished 3^rd in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile over this track, but he crossed the wire 12+ lengths behind Street Sense. There’s no question that he fits with this bunch on class, but the light schedule and the strange final prep leave a lot of questions unanswered. There will be value for those who like him, and his daddy ran 2^nd to Fusaichi Pegasus on Derby Day 2000. Some things to like. Some things to dislike. Your call.