5 of 16 Writers Say Nobiz in Derby
Undefeated Curlin, Street Sense Favored at Churchill Downs Saturday
Opinions are sharply defined as a wide open Kentucky Derby post offers a batch of talented and proven colts. Trainer Todd Pletcher has five trainees, but no favorite.
The odds for the 133rd running of the Kentucky Derby favor Todd Pletcher. The nation's top trainer has schooled a quarter of the 20 entries for the Run for the Roses this Saturday. Of Pletcher's five, only Scat Daddy is a mild choice of two of 16 writers polled.
Sports illustrated writer Tim Layden picks the Scat to wear the roses. Great Hunter and Curlin could be the place (second) and show (third) colts, says SI. The super sports magazine also picked Memphis to handily "dispatch" Ohio State in the 2007 NCAA tournament.
Five of the fourteen other writers are going with Nobiz Like Shobiz, who showed his serious side in the Wood Memorial. Curlin is picked twice. Street Sense comes in first four times.
Street Sense is the 2006 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Champion. The jinx on juvenile champs is alive and well. None have followed their Breeders' Cup win with a victory in the Kentucky Derby as sophomores. However, last year's Breeders' Cup was held at Churchill Downs. Street Sense has a claim to familiarity.
Curlin was winless as a juvenile only because he didn't race as a two-year-old. This spring, he is three for three, impressively.
Hard Spun is the choice of one writer. Trainer Larry Jones says the Spinner likes Polytrack, and the colt's wins verify that. Polytrack, for better, or for worse, hasn't hit the Triple Crown trail yet.
Any Given Saturday, a large favorite earlier this spring season, and Circular Quay (key), both Pletcher trainees, each are also given a single nod.
Merv Griffin decided not to run his Cobalt Blue, of whom he thinks greatly. The colt's effort in the Illinois Derby didn't match up with his previous outings, says Griffin. But the Blue will be back.
Lesser publicized Xchanger has also been pulled out of the chase. Those two displacements opened the door to Teuflesberg and Imawildandcrazyguy. Stewart Elliott will ride Teuflesberg. The jockey's name should ring a bell, or two. He rode a little chestnut with the handle, Smarty Jones, back in 2004.
And the field, by post position, is: (1) 50 to 1 shot Sedgefield, 8 starts, 2 wins, 3 seconds, 0 thirds, 3 unplaced, (jockey--Julien Leparoux-----trainer--Darrin Miller), last race--Transylvania Stakes (4th)
(2) 7 to 2 Curlin, 3-3-0-0-0, (Robby Albarado-----Steve Asmussen), Arkansas Derby (1st)
(3) 30 to 1 Zanjero, 8-2-2-3-1, Shaun Bridgmohan-----Asmussen), Blue Grass Stakes (3rd)
(4) 30 to 1 Storm in May, 13-4-2-6-1, (Juan Leyva-----William Kaplan), Arkansas Derby (2nd)
(5) 50 to 1 Imawildandcrazyguy, 11-2-2-2-5, (Mark Guidry-----Kaplan), Florida Derby (6th)
(6) 20 to 1 Cowtown Cat, 7-4-0-1-2, (Fernando Jara-----Pletcher), Illinois Derby (1st)
(7) 4 to 1 Street Sense, 7-3-2-2-0, (Calvin Borel-----Carl Nafzger), Blue Grass Stakes (2nd)
(8) 15 to 1 Hard Spun, 6-5-0-0-1, (Mario Pino-----Jones), Lane's End Stakes (1st)
(9) 30 to 1 Liquidity, 7-1-2-1-3, (David Flores-----Doug O'Neill), Santa Anita Derby (4th)
(10) 30 to 1 Teuflesberg, 15-4-1-2-8, (Elliott-----Jamie Sanders), Blue Grass Stakes (4th)
(11) 50 to 1 Bwana Bull, 9-4-2-1-2, (Javier Castellano-----Jerry Hollendorfer), Sanita Anita Derby (5th)
(12) 8 to 1 Nobiz Like Shobiz, 6-4-1-1-0, (Cornelio Velasquez-----Barclay Tagg), Wood Memorial (1st)
(13) 20 to 1 Sam P., 8-2-2-1-3, (Ramon Dominguez-----Pletcher), Santa Anita Derby (3rd)
(14) 10 to 1 Scat Daddy, 8-5-1-1-1, (Edgar Prado-----Pletcher), Florida Derby (1st)
(15) 15 to 1 Tiago, 4-2-0-1-1, (Mike Smith-----John Sherriffs), Santa Anita Derby (1st)
(16) 8 to1 Circular Quay, 7-4-2-0-1, (John Velazquez-----Pletcher), Louisiana Derby (1st)
(17) 30 to 1 Stormello, 9-3-1-2-3, (Kent Desormeaux-----Bill Currin), Florida Derby (4th)
(18) 12 to 1 Any Given Saturday, 6-3-2-1-0, (Garrett Gomez-----Pletcher), Wood Memorial (3rd)
(19) 20 to 1 Dominican, 7-3-0-2-2, (Rafael Bejarano-----Miller), Blue Grass Stakes (1st)
(20) 15 to 1 Great Hunter, 9-3-4-1-1, (Corey Nakatani-----O'Neill), Blue Grass Stakes (5th)
That's the Kentucky Derby lineup for May 5, 2007 Saturday afternoon in Louisville, Kentucky. Mint Juleps and thousands of creative hats will help bring attitude to the 133rd running of the first leg of the American Triple Crown.
