[The Indomitable DrugS]

War Pass and Pyro are the two superior horses with the superior figures.

For example, the 113 Beyer War Pass ran in the Breeders Cup Juvenile represents the fastest figure in the history of that race.

The 105 Beyer Pyro ran in the Breeders Cup Juvenile is outright the 3rd fastest BC Juvenile Beyer figure in the 17 year history that Beyer's have been published in the Daily Racing Form.

The only two horses to ever run a faster BC Juvie figure were War Pass (113, loose on lead over sloppy track) and Street Sense 108 (Dream trip/setup up the CD rail to win by 10 lengths)

So, that crowd who wanted to mock Pyro on the fact that he was "one nose away from a maiden" - they could have been countered with the fact that Pyro owns the outright fastest Beyer in BC Juvie history which was earned without the aid of any possible smoke and mirrors.

Now that their superority to this crop so far has been established - onto why Pyro is the better Derby projection....

Loose speed War Pass has won all three match-ups, but Pyro has gained steadily late on him each time. Making up 2.25 lengths through the final call of a six furlong allowance race. Making up 5.5 lengths through the final call of the Champagne. Making up 2.25 lengths through the final call of the record figure BC Juvie.

It would be one thing If War Pass dueled through quick fractions and Pyro sucked up late and closed the margin - but that didn't happen once in the three meetings. Pyro lost because he was outpaced each time, but he also stylishly finished the last furlong best of all each time.

Pyro has three clear-cut edges over War Pass to make him a superior Derby projection. Here they are....

* Uncontested leads don't come easy in 20 horse fields with everyone stretching out:

The Derby is typically fast paced - especially for mid-season 3-year-olds attempting a 10 furlong distance. For that reason, horses with deep closing running styles often outrun their odds. More importantly, War Pass was loose on an uncontested lead ranging from margins of 2-to-3 lengths after a half mile in each win over Pyro.

A horse with the repute War Pass has will not get loose like that in the Derby without going WAY too fast for the distance. In a rare year, they might give a 20/1 shot like War Emblem a pass on an uncontested lead, but that is very unlikely to happen.

Horses with Pyro's deep closing running style often outrun their odds in the Derby and end up looking better than they really are.

* Pedigree:

War Pass is by champion sprinter Cherokee Run. His dam Vue was a lightly raced stakes placed sprinter by Mr. Prospector. War Pass is a half sibling to Grade 1 winner Oath, who was perfect at age 2 and winless there after. He's also a half sibling to Grade 2 stakes place sprinter Vision of Beauty. She never attempted a route. Basically, War Pass is bred for sharp speed and sharp precocity.

Meanwhile, Pyro's grandsire won the Breeders Cup Classic and Belmont Stakes and his damsire won the Breeders Cup Classic as well. Pyro's dam is a half to a stakes winner who won 8-of-16 lifetime dirt routes and another stakes winner who was 12-5-3-3 in dirt routes.

* Training tactics:

Trainer Nick Zito has won a remarkable 5 of the last 10 runnings of the Champagne Stakes. War Pass worked 4 bullet workouts in the month of September prior to his razor sharp wire-to-wire Champagne score in early Oct.

Trainer Steve Asmussen hasn't allowed Pyro to do much in his works. Just a steady diet of slow breeze's.