FTFY

Derby Fall Out
 

Aikenite Out...Noble's Promise probably not

also add Odysseus

That's what happens when you no longer have the traditional prep routes and give the Sunland Derby graded status. Also, you have most of these trainers handling the horses with kids gloves trying to get one performance to earn money, then doing all they can not to "peak" early.

then they wonder why a good horse can't put three races together in 5 weeks. most of these horses have about zero foundation.(they hardly race and some don't even start at 2 yo) when a triple crown winner finally gets in the circle. it will be because hes a little better than the other garbage. last year we got lucky and there were a few good horses. this is starting to look like the year before with big brown and 19 other clunkers. hopefully, i'm wrong!

Maybe $800,000 is a little crazy, but it was a last gasp effort for graded status by Sunland Park. I'm just not sure how I feel about comparisons of the Sunland Derby and the Delta Jackpot some people make. Shouldn't we see if they relax into a G3 status or aim higher? If not in status than at least field quality? There's a big difference between dangling easy graded money in front of lesser Derby wannabees/neverweres, and becoming a respected minor Derby prep.

I'm sure now that they've got G3 it'll be their pride and joy out there. They might just manage to build a little momentum with the right promotion. If they don't get the stars out no matter how much purse they offer, I'd love it if they took it down a notch, but I don't blame them for trying. I will when it keeps my Derby horse out of the race, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

Aikenite, with his second place finish in the Derby Trial, now has enough earnings to go the Derby if his connections so incline.

I like him for an also-ran effort in the Preakness, followed by a showdown between he and Derby also-ran Awesome Act in the Woody Stephens on the Belmont undercard. That race should be exciting from start to finish with Eightyfiveandafifty and D'Funnybone locking horns for a couple of strides in the stretch before hitting a brick wall at the 1/8th pole.

A Little Warm would make it a blanket finish if he goes.