Who will show drastic improvement in the Derby?
 

About 6:30 pm after the Derby is over we'll comment that the winner's improvement was the difference in the race and we should have seen it coming. I think this is more important this year where we have such a mixed bag with no real stand out that you can check off as doing everything right.

So, who do you think is poised for showing great improvement off their last race and why? The answer to the Derby jusy may be here.

Spyder

The answer is the even running plodder who can't win at 8-9f but can run his same slow speed all day. Find that horse and you'll have the longshot who makes the trifecta. As for winning, it'll be one of the seven or so that have been highly regarded on the trail up to the race.

T-bred fan....
Based on what you just said- Zanjero?

I think that is possible. Zanjero has been a horse people have wanted to bet based on price and improvement angle. He does look like he can run all day. So, yeah he might be the one.

If you need "drastic improvement" going into the Derby, you shouldnt be running in it.

Zanjero
 

Who rides Zanjero now?
Now since Gomez jumps to a Pletcher horse, Any Given Saturday.
Who is Asmussen go to guy?

If that was the case. from a speed figure standpoint anyway, there would be not a single horse running in the race.

As par for the race is 110 on the Beyer Scale, and Curlin's top figure of 103 puts him 4 1/4 lengths shy of par.

Dominican would be the most drastic possobility. After a break to adjust his sexual preferance ,he has hit the track running and Miller has eased him into the derby picture. My concern is he a cushion track horse. Number 2 is Curlin. As good as he has performed it just looks like he is a lot of horse and he has room to improve based on his light careere. Tiago is another that I think could still show improvement. Did the light come on or will he revert back to an ordinary horse?

Tiago and Zanjero seem most likely to me, both should like the extra furlong more than others may and both seem to be improving. I don't know that they are quite fast enough to win but I bet both put up new career high Beyers in the Derby.

Any Given Saturday seems the horse most likely to be able to move way up and run a 108-110 Beyer that should be enough to win the race. He could also be a total non-factor.

While I don't particularly like Tiago for this race, it won't shock me if he runs OK, but Zanjero feels like a plug who just sort of sucked up in the Bluegrass where no real running was taking place. I will be very surprised if he is any real factor in the Derby. He just feels slow.

That could be Bridgmohan, he's won aboard Zanjero before and I think Asmussen knew he was taking the risk of losing Gomez when he gave him a leg up on Saturday.

NT

One of the biggest reasons I like Tiago, is look at his Maiden race. The way he dug in, after being pushed and forced how wide!?! The way he continued to dig and fight to the wire impressed me. I don't think he will win, but he will hit the board.

If Sean Bridgemohan wins the Derby it could jeopardize Jean Cruget's stranglehold on worst jockey to ever win the Derby.

I thought Tiago looked good winning last time out and was visually impressive, but wont everything have to fall just right for him to show, he'll have to avoid traffic probelms with his style of running!

First race with the blinkers off and that really helped as he showed a willingness to weave through traffic that will be important in the Derby. People really shouldn't be fooled by him being Giacomo's brother. This horse is a lot faster. Heck, Mike Smith said that in an interview before the SA Derby when the horse still looked like a total nag. Not often that you see a Hall of Fame jockey tell you that a horse with a career high 84 Beyer is a lot faster than the horse he won the Kentucky Derby on.

On a related note....if they gave jockeys Beyer figures, what do you suppose Mike Smith's would have been for the inner track meet......23?

He's an obvious detriment to the horse's chances but we've seen him weave through traffic at Churchill before to win the Derby with a much slower horse so I won't be able to dismiss this horse solely based on his jockey. At least we know he won't put the horse in a stranglehold on the first turn and destroy all chances like Kent D will.

grand, thanks for that. was over in the states that weekend, and Tiago looked the most impressive in the derby preps - he's also the name of one of my favourite footballers, so im hoping he does fine!

I am still waiting for a horse named Giggs!

Stewart Elliott get a mention in that category?

I think Zanjero has little chance, no matter who's aboard.

NT