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.

Richard Migliore

Migliore was born March 14, 1964, in Babylon, N.Y. Richard was riding show horses at a very young age, running his own pony-ride and racing business at 13. Thoroughbred trainer Steve DeMauro gave him his first track job and taught him to race-ride, starting his jockey career in September, 1980. He tasted immediate success, winning the Eclipse Award for apprentice rider the following year. He kept his home base in New York, where he was leading rider on several occasions, before moving his tack to southern California late in 2006. Despite several very severe riding injuries, Migliore has maintained his stature as a top rider, amassing over 4,000 wins for his career. He has ridden in the Derby four times, with his best finish a fifth aboard Wheelaway in 2000.

Team Valor Stables LLC

Team Valor is a racing partnership run by Barry Irwin and Jeff Siegel, who select all of Team Valor's racing stock. They have been friends for over 35 years, meeting in the press box at Hollywood Park in 1970. They developed Clover Racing Stables in 1987, and within two years had won the Hollywood Derby, Del Mar Oaks, Santa Anita Handicap, Swaps and Breeders' Cup Turf with their purchases. Clover became Team Valor five years later. They have campaigned many stakes winners over the ensuing 15 years, including Captain Bodgit, second in the 1997 Derby, Star of Cozzene, Golden Ballet, Cashier's Dream, My Memoirs, The Deputy, Irridescence and Ipi Tombe.

Deborah Kopatz (OH)

Kopatz is a self-made Thoroughbred breeder. Though not connected to racing in any way, she was always enamoured with Thoroughbreds. She got involved by taking part of her wedding money and buying a broodmare, then raising and breaking the foal. She persevered, and now she and husband Richard own and live on Fox Chapel Farm in North Canton, Ohio, an 11-acre operation with another 22 acres recently purchased. They have about 20 horses, with three in training at Thistledown and the rest broodmares and yearlings on the farm. King of the Roxy is the only stakes winner they have bred. She sold King of the Roxy at Keeneland for $8,000, but still own his dam Marrakesh.

King of the Roxy is by second crop sire Littleexpectations. He also marks the first stakes winner for his sire, who was undefeated in four starts at age two. A confirmed sprinter, he never won at more than six furlongs, and was third in the seven furlong Lafayette (GIII). He retired after 17 starts, with six wins and earnings of $205,480. He currently stands stud at Millennium Farms in Lexington, KY. By Valid Appeal, he is a full brother to Derby Trial (GIII) Valid Expectations, who was also best at a mile or under. The brothers are also related to Valid Wager, who, like King of the Roxy, won the Hutcheson. From this family also comes multiple stakes winner Purge as well as 1975 Kentucky Derby winner Foolish Pleasure.

King of the Roxy was bred by Deborah Kopatz, a self-professed small-time breeder from Ohio. Kopatz owns his dam Marrakesh, who won 2 of 21 starts. She has produced five winners from six runners, with King of the Roxy by far her best offspring. She is a daughter of Bold Forbes. Probably one of the more under appreciated racehorses of the 1970’s, Bold Forbes won two-thirds of the 1976 Triple Crown, falling short when third in the Preakness. He was champion 2-year-old in Puerto Rico and 3-year-old in the United States.

King of the Roxy’s first two dams are light on black type winners, but his third dam, General Store, produced one of the most durable distance runners of the 1970s in Double Discount. He raced for eight years, winning or placing in graded stakes in six of those, and set a 1 ¼ mile track record of 1:57.40 at Sacramento. From the same mare also came stakes winners Chain Store and Summer Sale. Indeed, the female side of King of the Roxy’s pedigree is peppered with classic and stamina blood from the likes of 1943 Triple Crown winner Count Fleet, Graustark, Blenheim and Bull Lea, which provide a balance to the speed in the first two generations of his sire’s side. Dosage Index: 3.00 – by Mark Hoard

Coming Derby week.