Viva Las Vegas: Dan Shapiro's Derby Coverage

Welcome back!

I'm Dan Shapiro and I’ll be taking you through all the Kentucky Derby prep action up and down the East Coast as we head toward the 134th Run for the Roses, just four months away on May 3.

This will be my second year as an official Kentucky Derby blogger and a lot has changed since Street Sense’s awesome victory in Derby 133.

As anyone who read my postings last year might remember, I was enamored with Curlin going into Derby 133, and he let me down a bit when he finished third. By the end of the year, however, he proved the top 3-year-old of his generation and a shoo-in for Horse of the Year following his win in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Monmouth.

Of course, Street Sense wasn’t a bust after the Derby, with impressive victories in The Jim Dandy (GII) and Travers Stakes (GI) at Saratoga to his impressive resume. Hard Spun, whose gallant Derby performance was probably good enough to win the race in any other year, went on to earn a Grade I victory in the King’s Bishop at Saratoga. Derby also-ran Any Given Saturday had a strong second half of the year for Todd Pletcher, including a victory in the Grade I Haskell Invitational at Monmouth. Nobiz Like Shobiz flopped in the Derby, but later developed into a top grass runner under the care of Barclay Tagg.

Unfortunately Street Sense, Hard Spun and Any Given Saturday have been retired to stud in Kentucky. Curlin’s racing future is in limbo, but he’s currently in training at Fair Grounds with Steve Asmussen and it appears likely he’ll return for a 4-year-old campaign.

On a personal level, a lot has also changed since May. I have moved from New York City to Las Vegas after accepting a new job. It was a huge move, but I’ve been out here almost three weeks and so far it’s great. Unfortunately, there aren’t any racetracks in Nevada, but there are dozens of race books to follow the action within a few miles of my apartment and I’m also a four-hour drive to Santa Anita.

I look forward to giving you my insights and opinions on the Derby prep action on the East Coast and beyond. I’m also odds on to be at Santa Anita this year for some of their major preps, so I’ll be sure to report on those races as well.

One more note: I’m a racing fan first and foremost, but I also consider myself a pretty astute horseplayer. Many of my insights come from the point-of-view of a bettor and I’ll be sure to provide picks and betting analysis for the major Derby preps throughout the season.

Welcome aboard and I look forward to reading your comments and answering your questions as we begin another exciting road to the Kentucky Derby.