2008 Kentucky Derby 134 Prospects

During last year's Kentucky Derby, Street Sense got ahead and won at 2:02.17. The year before that, Barbaro won in 2:01.36.  It is undetermined as to whether this year's winner will be faster than 2:01.50. 

Some experts say that Big Brown could win the Kentucky Derby this year. However, the unbeaten Florida Derby winner will have to contend with some others if he is to win the Run for the Roses.  Winner of the Santa Anita Derby, California Colt Colonel John, had a solid practice on the track completing five furlongs in 57.80 seconds.

In the past, Pyro was a favorite among bettors until his disappointing 10th place finish in the Blue Grass at Keeneland.  However, his earlier races imply that he's a force to be reckoned with.

Gayego was the winner of the Arkansas Derby and was ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith who also rode Giacomo to victory in 2005. 

Eight Belles will be surrounded by 19 colts this year's Derby.  If she wins, she will join 3 other fillies that have accomplished this noteworthy achievement.  The others were Regret in 1915, Genuine Risk in 1980  and Winning Colors in 1988.

Street Sense won last year lead by Calvin Borel. If he wins on Denis of Cork he'll be the first jockey to win 2 consecutive Derbys since Eddie Delahoussaye in the early '80s.   Borel's mount is currently at 12-1 odds. However, experts say that there are very few who can ride the rail like him. 

Dallas Stewart trained Macho Again who won the Derby Trial.  “I was encouraged to see Dallas’ horse come back and win the Derby Trial, which legitimizes the race somewhat,” said trainer Graham Motion, referring to the Dallas Stewart-trained Macho Again, who struggled on the Polytrack surface at Turfway in the Lane’s End. “But Adriano certainly couldn't have won more comfortably.”

Because Adriano had previously run poorly in his only start on dirt at Gulfstream Park in the Fountain of Youth and had all of his success on turf, his trainer hesitated to commit to a Derby start directly after the Lane’s End.  Motion said Adriano’s ninth-place finish in the Fountain of Youth could well have been a result of his colt’s prerace misbehavior in the paddock.

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