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.

Ramon Dominguez

Thirty year old Ramon Dominguez, a native of Venezuela, began riding at age 16 in his home country. He moved to the United States in 1995, riding at Hialeah Park in Florida. He won 385 races in 2006, second to Julien Leparoux, with his mounts earning in excess of $14.4 million, placing him fifth for the year. He also led the national standings in both 2001 and 2003, when he had 431 and 453 victories, respectively. 2004 saw him score his first Breeders' Cup victory aboard Better Talk Now in the Breeders' Cup Turf (GI). And in 2004, he won the Isaac Murphy Award presented to the jockey with the highest winning percentage (28.3) for the year by the National Turf Writers Association. Dominguez has ridden three Derby starters, Tapit in 2004, High Limit in 2005 and Bluegrass Cat, to a second place finish for Pletcher, last year. He has won three riding titles in Maryland, where he currently resides. He splits his riding time between Delaware, Florida, and New York.

Starlight Stable & Donald Lucarelli

Starlight Stables is the Thoroughbred racing partnership of Atlanta residents Jack and Laurie Wolf, They are relative newcomers to the horse industry, buying their first horses at the 2000 Fasig-Tipton July sale. One of the horses in that set of six was Harlan’s Holiday, winner of the Florida Derby (G1) and Blue Grass Stakes (G1). While that colt gave them some thrills, it pales in comparison to the career of their filly Ashado. In addition to winning the 2004 Kentucky Oaks (GI), Ashado won 10 other graded stakes, including the Breeders' Cup Distaff (GI) the same year. She was named champion in both 2004 and 2005. After being retired following the 2005 Breeders' Cup, Ashado was sold at the Keeneland November sale for a world record $9 million. Lucarelli became involved in racing after selling his Bellevue Builders Supply business, and formed a partnership with Wolf after meeting him in 2003. Octave was his first winner at Saratoga, his home track.

Whisper Hill Farm (KY)

Coming Soon

Sam P. is by Cat Thief, who ran three times at Churchill, in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (GI), the Derby (GI) and the Stephen Foster (GII), and ironically finished third in all three races. He actually had a tendency to run second or third, finishing with a record of 4-9-8 from 30 starts. He got the money when it counted most though, taking the 1999 Breeders’ Cup Classic (GI). At stud, he is standing at Overbrook Farm, also home of his sire Storm Cat. With four crops of racing age, he has five stakes winners to date, led by grade two winners Great Intentions and Regal Engagement. Cat Thief comes from a very solid female family – his first two dams were multiple graded winners that were best going a route of ground. His second dam Train Robbery earned over $1 million and was champion older female.

Sam P.’s female side is strong as well. His dam Affirmed Legacy is a daughter of 1978 Triple Crown winner Affirmed. All five of her foals that have made the races are winners, including the runner-up in the 2005 Sam F. Davis, Summer Legacy. Affirmed Legacy won but two races, but she is a half-sister to three stakes winners: millionaire Bolshoi Boy, winner of the Cornhusker (GII), Razorback (GII) and Illinois Derby (GIII); he was also second in the Flamingo (GI) and Blue Grass (GI); the good Florida-bred Covert Operation; and the grade three placed Russian Diplomacy. Further back in the tail female line, Sam P.’s fourth dam Vault produced one of the better and more durable fillies of the early 1970s in Poker Night, who won or placed in 24 of 47 starts, with wins in the Top Flight (GI), Bed O’ Roses (GII), Hempstead (GII) and Interborough (GIII) Handicaps.

Sam P. is inbred 4x4 to the undefeated 1963 champion 2-year-old Raise a Native, through his sons Alydar and Exclusive Native. The latter is the sire of Kentucky Derby winners Affirmed and Genuine Risk. Though no direct descendant of Storm Cat has won the Derby, Sam P. has a plethora of Kentucky Derby winners as well as other stamina influences in his first five generations, giving him a solid Dosage Index of 1.55. – by Mark Hoard

SAM P. is an intriguing horse in this year’s Derby. He’s 20-1 in the morning line, and will probably drift higher than that off his enigmatic effort in the Santa Anita Derby. He seemed to fight his jock Ramon Dominguez for most of the trip, when he was wearing blinkers for the first time. He will run without them this time, another indication that was part of the problem. A good second in the Robert Lewis (GII) probably landed him in this spot, because the rest of his resume is fairly light. Don’t forget though, he beat Chelokee at Churchill Downs last November. Another interesting fact is that of Pletcher’s five Derby horses, he’s been in Louisville much longer than the other four, and has looked very good training over this course. People might toss him out since high profile riders John Velazquez and Garrett Gomez chose other Pletcher mounts, but remember Dominguez was second for this barn at 30-1 aboard Bluegrass Cat last year. That was the latest in a string of Pletcher “hit the board” surprises, could this be the one? Will have to tap some unseen talent, but would make his backers seem like handicapping geniuses.