Zito holding an impressive Derby hand

:) I remember songandaprayer he thought the derby was 5 furlongs...Buy Buy Barrier Reef another smart move by Godolphin... not!! Well thats just one less horse that Texas Wildcatter has to run over...That is if he gets a decent ride this time.. I watched that race from Philly again that horse could run 2 miles.

OOps sorry thought you said he was going to Dubai LOL

Wow. 75/1 on Cool Coal Man. I'd say you and anyone else who took that price is looking pretty sharp right about now. Awesome work at Palm Meadows this past week. If he wins the Derby that'll buy you a lot of Black Eyed Susans and glasses of chardonnay 2 weeks later.

CROWN OF THORNS off the Derby Trail with a shin injury.

Cool Coal Man is 80/1 right now on Bodog. And actually, if the Derby were run today, and Cool Coal Man drew in, he'd still be 80/1... Maybe he'll win the FOY and FL Derby and win the Derby as the favorite... That said I took Alaazo, Elysium Fields, and Visionaire at 80/1 and they'd all be longer prices than the Coal Man. All about who you think will be a short price later I guess... (BTW, Dennis of Cork opened at 100-1, plummeted to 50/1 after one week. Now 35/1).

I've been all over Barrier Reef as he gawked and swerved and ducked his way to defeat without ever switching leads. Then I jumped off him and onto the Wildcatter who ran greenly as Barrier Reef continued to stay on the wrong lead. He's a big horse who'll run all day, but doesn't seem like the athletic type who wins in 20 horse fields.

Everyone watch Tomcito in the yellow silks on Youtube yet?

Can anyone do a list of horses which were named with WAR as part of the name!

Calvin (Pedigree Man), where are you, when I need you.

Only the classic horses.

I know War Admiral, is one,

Man O War, is two,

Who else ?????

I sure the networks are scrambling to produce a list of names for editorial purposes
on Derby day. Maybe we all can see some footage of the old great races.

Zito will make sure he has the favorite on Derby Day. Take the easy money. Nothing will be close to War Pass as he campaign to the gates of Kentucky.

But, I don't know if War Pass can perform hard labor for 2 minutes without water (rain).

Well see!!!

Barry,

Here are some videos of a true racing champion that I believe you will enjoy:

http://www.kentuckyderby.com/2008/videos/582

http://youtube.com/watch?v=8M7rZyFfi4M&feature=related

http://youtube.com/watch?v=9MYSZMr54YM

As I watched the videos of Winning Colors who always went to the lead and wired the 1988 Kentucky Derby which also had Forty Niner and Risen Star in the field, I thought about a horse with a similar running style on this year’s Triple Crown Trail – War Pass.

Not that War Pass is a good as the great Winning Colors, but, I agree with you that War Pass may be something special. I don’t know if War Pass is good enough to sweep the Triple Crown, but, like Winning Colors, he may be good enough to win the Kentucky Derby (Winning Colors finished 3rd in the Preakness and 6th in the Belmont).

Both War Pass and Winning Colors are descendants of the bloodline of Nasrullah which, in addition to Winning Colors, produced the 1968 Kentucky Derby winner Forward Pass. On the bottom of the pedigree, Winning Colors is also descended from Nasrullah via the Bold Ruler line. War Pass is descended from Native Dancer via the Mr. Prospector line which has dominated the Triple Crown Trail for the past decade.

So far, War Pass has done everything right. He has the pedigree to do great things and only time will tell how well War Pass fares on the Triple Crown Trail.

Barry, How about War Emblem ! He did win the Derby afterall.

Derbyme - that it is why it's called a "future" bet. It has absolutely nothing to do with the price the horse would be in the gate today. When you bet, you bet on the expected value & return of a certain result. In this case, the result is winning the Kentucky, not Florida, Derby.

Zito is in fact loaded. And the best derby contender is indeed a Zito horse.

Pedigree:
You can't say enough about this colt's pedigree. We all know how influential Mr. Prospector has been on the first Saturday in May. And how about a classic sire with runner-up finishes at Churchill and Pimlico to go along with his VICTORY at Belmont.

Connections:
Already mentioned Nick Zito, 2-time Derby winner. He is due for another. How about a former Eclipse Award winning apprentice jockey. An up incoming kid who has the potential to be nothing short of great when it is all said and done.

Races thus far:
What a perfect running style for the Derby. Sits mid-pack right behind the stalkers. Not too far back where he would have trouble finding room in a 20-horse field. Hasn't shown the greatest turn of foot at the stretch, but he will improve as he goes longer. Also, he seems to love to battle down the stretch. Vacation comes to challenge him in September and he kicks into gear. Blackberry Road pulls up aside in November and he finds just enough to hold him off. An excuse in October? Easy...slow pace and not close enough to be interested.

On February 24th, we will no longer be able to ignore Zito's best. He will prove to the world that he is a serious threat to win the Kentucky Derby. I can't wait to see Monba, Court Vision, and others closing on his heels. He will hold them all off to win! And then we will be talking about Zito's best on Monday!

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Cool coal man?? Are you serious? Watch the kentucky gold G11 where he runs out of gas after 3/4 of a mile? Why would you think this horse has any chance? You have him #3 Shapiro. I want your job just pick names out of a hat.

Well I have tried to laugh at your picks and dog you about having a love affair for Zito. Now the proof is out. Cool Coal Man is you third pick in the derby rankings. Does no one else think this is insane. He has been beat by all the top horses even lowley Anak Nakal whooped him and I am not sure he is a top 10 horse anymore. Get off the dream boat. What a great job you have, You would think you were much better at it than this. I think you are the worst and most inexperienced handicapper I have ever seen. Do you pay to do this or get paid. I just have trouble thinking someone could think Cool Coal Man could be anywhere near the top three.

Actually you losers have the best job. Sitting behind your computers wearing a wife beater, eating chalupas and ripping into someone who’s taking a shot on a horse that’s a big price. It takes some amount of guts to post opinions in the public domain, especially when they aren’t mainstream ones because of morons like you who fire back like that.

Guess what geniuses……the odds are against every one of these horses winning the Kentucky Derby. Nobody is 3/5 out there. Very easy to sit back and say, “he sucks, he’s not getting 10f” etc, etc when the chances are you’re right. It’s pretty easy to lay against horses for a race that’s still a couple months away. You guys who do that are brave individuals.

I think all he’s doing is taking a shot at a horse he likes a lot relative to the value the horse presents. We have all done it before. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. However, its probably best to leave personal attacks and calling someone ‘the worst & most inexperienced’ handicapper you’ve ever seen out of it, or at least until you’re also the one posting stuff for the masses to respond to.

Thanks Calvin, outstanding research.

JILL, I don't know how I could have forgotten War Emblem.

Thank You for the reminder.

Something about the name WAR though, when the name line up in the starting gate for the classic races, the horses just simply WIN.

To honestly say, WAR PASS two year old races reminds me so much of RUFFIAN. Dark horse(black) with a white blaze on the forehead and never would let a horse ahead of at any pole. Thus far, the two had similar two year old careers.

Maybe we are looking at greatness in the making.

CHARM??

It is a top 10 list? Why would you put a guess or a maybe on the list. Its like putting the tampa bay devil rays on your top 10 baseball list. it just doesnt make sense. War pass, Pyro and elgato malo are all ahead of cool coal man. throw in court vision, dennis of cork, anak nakal, z humor. There is no way possible cool coal man is in the top 7 right there also etched and tale of ekati have proven way more.

Everyone has a favorite longshot just who in their right mind would put it in the #3 spot? They are supposed to be experts that is just nonsense. I just want serious opinions not (pick a name out of a hat guesses).

so im gonna head to taco bell grab a challupa and continue saying the truth.

Well just what I expected more stupid comments. Sorry DAN but what analyst would have said that after 2 games into the Giants season. None. Zero. This is why they are professional. Choppedliver is dead on. I beg you to find an analyst that would put a Tampa, or bottomfeeder in there top 10. Listen to what you meatballs are saying. Maybe Coal Man is alright, Maybe you bet him, but you never include him ahead of many of these horses. I don't know how anyone can agree to these comments of Silver, and Dan. Top 10 list are exactley that, the top 10. Maybe you throw him in there around 7 or 8 and that would be a stretch, but 3. GET REAL. I guess Liver and I are headin to Taco Bell its open late and the guy behind the counter probably knows more than you. Too bad you are missing the point of these lists.

Chopped Liver, Bud ......well it looks like Dan picked the winner and you 2 look like a couple a douche bags for all your criticism, remember hes not telling you to run to the window and bet your life savings its an opinion just lie you and everyone on this site has...THATS WHAT MAKES IT INTERESTING...Oh and your ANAK NAKAL is still running and if he keeps on running forest he just might win tomorrows first,...

Nice call Dan, I think that trak is slightly speed favoring maybe a little more than Kentucky, but the top 2 horses were definitely impressive. Tagg has got to be happy with that run from Elysium Fields.

Nice call Dan,

My previous post lambasted you for taking a horse with $0 in graded earnings who'd have been a long shot even if in the Derby. Then I remembered that I bet Elysium Fields, Alaazo, and Visionaire all at 80-1, all before they had any graded earnings, and all of which would be longshots if in the race. Well, 80/1 and 75/1 look like bargains now.

No sour grapes, but Cool Coal Man rode a tight rail while Elysium Fields went widest of all into the turn, appeared to bump Monba, and went 3-4 wide around the second turn. He also galloped out well past. This horse wants every bit of 10f. Tough luck loser. Kudos to Court Vision as well. No one closes from last at Gulfstream.

Nice one Dan.

Ok Ok.... I change my tune . Anak nakal, court vision, COOL COAL MAN. Are all terrible horses and anyone who has them even on the same page as war pass is a complete idiot. The FOY was a complete joke 50 second half mile?? Are these the best America has to offer? I was totally disapointed in this race and feel sorry for anyone who thinks these horses can win the derby.

My list.

1 WAR PASS
2vacant
3vacant
4vacant
5vacant
6vacant
7vacant
8vacant
9seabiscuit
10 pyro

The horses in the mix this year are brutal

Choppedliver, there was a timer malfunction at Gulfstream. The actual fractions are now posted on Equibase.

http://www.equibase.com/static/chart/pdf/GP022408USA9.pdf

23.56 - 46.93 - 1:10.80 - 1:37.00 - 1:49.53

The final time was actually pretty good. And visually, the way that Cool Coal Man re-rallied in deep stretch when Elysium Fields came at him and galloped out strongly were great indicators. This horse did only what was needed to win the race.

As for your War Pass love, good luck getting him 10f, especially with the kid gloves he is being handled with this year. He beat maiden claimers yesterday. The Tampa Bay Derby field will be a joke. This horse will fold like a cheap tent in the Derby stretch if he even makes it to that race.

LoL i agree

Question/Comment

Used the timer on Windows Media Player to time the FOY and found the original time to be quite accurate. However, I know that for most tracks the timer is set off shortly after the gates open. Using War Pass' final time as a marker, I concluded that about 1 second should be subtracted from his Windows time to get the Equibase time. Using that method of subracting the 1 second from the Windows time of the FOY (1:56) and subtracting 1 seconds, then subracting another 4 seconds of footage before the gates opened, the final time should have been about 1:51 and change. It may have been slightly faster than the original posting, but was certainly slower than the corrected 1:49. Even the 1:50 seems a bit quick. Anyone else can try playing the replay and timing the race themselves.

As for War Pass. He's a machine. He runs with a chip on his shoulder, like he's angry that other horses even try to keep up with him. At the same time, he has controlled power and actually rates well on the front end. Whether he can sit off a horse is yet to be seen, and his pedigree might catch up with him, but the more I see, the more I think he's just talented enough to get 10+.