Derby and Oaks Top 10

Derby Top 10 (Feb 5th)

1. Any Given Saturday (1)
2. Nobiz Like Showbiz (2)
3. Great Hunter (3)
4. Ravel (10)
5. Circular Quay (4)
6. Liquidity (new)
7. Notional (7)
8. Scat Daddy (5)
9. Birdbirdistheword (8)
10. Hard Spun (9)

The first big week of preps brought the first big shakeups to the top 10. The biggest loser this week was without a doubt Pirates Deputy. He has always moved in a promising manner but his figs were pretty slow. Now when he encounters a fast race for the first time he was nowhere to be found. He stays on the radar only just. The Sham Stakes also produced the two biggest positive movers. I was very very impressed with Ravel and Liquidity. Ravel got a 102 for the race and already appears as if he is going to be one of the Derby favorites. He doesn't look like the finished article yet but this was an excellent prep race. I think the best place to look for top Derby prospects is usually right behind the high figure winners. Liquidity was superb in this race but I think he's still going to be underrated a bit. I'm not going to underrate him at all, O'Niell has 3 top notch Derby horses. Nobiz Like Showbiz was a tad more workmanlike in his Holy Bull effort but the race did not diminish his status in any way. I did not think it good enough to claim the top spot but it was a useful prep race. Now he can go on to two turn races. Drums of Thunder ran a great race and is unlucky not be included on my radar. Scat Daddy falls in the rankings a bit but this race wasn't terrible. It was not all that fast which I suppose could be worrisome but Scat Daddy is also not going to run his best race forcing a quick pace like that. The best horse to run and not get on my list is Adore the Gold. He has always been fast and he showed it again on Saturday. The question is, can he do that going two turns? I have a soft spot for him because I was a fan of his brilliant father, but bias aside this horse is a runner and he could find himself in the top 10 before too long. Curlin broke his maiden impressively and he goes on the radar because of it. But lets get real he is only on there on the off chance that he is a real superstar. More than likely he a sprinter type, and having just made his first start this past weekend he is way behind the rest of this group in terms of preparation. Forefathers ran an interesting race but I am not the biggest fan of Nick Zito in the Derby of late. He gets his horses there but they tend to be more impressive in February and March than they are in May.

On the radar: Adore the Gold, Street Sense, Belgravia, Major Pleasure, Exhale, Curlin, Day Pass, Minefield, Came To Pass, Pirates Deputy (6)

Oaks Top 10 (Feb)

1. Dreaming of Anna (1)
2. Boca Grande (2)
3. Get Ready Bertie (3)
4. Lady Joanne (4)
5. Octave (5)
6. Autobahn Girl (6)
7. Appealing Zophie (8)
8. Cotton Blossom (9)
9. Baroness Thatcher (10)
10. Early Vintage (new)

Not many changes to this list as this grouped really hasn't got going yet. The is talk that Dreaming of Anna could be Derby bound but for now She stays a top this list. She looks set to make her 2007 debut sometime this weekend in either the Davona Dale or the Old Hat. Get Ready Bertie and Appealing Zophie look set for a clash in the Silverbulletday. Get Ready Bertie's figures have been pretty slow but she wins or runs very well so I can't fault her. Her stablemate Change Up is out injured so now she becomes the stable's #1, a position I always felt was rightfully hers anyway. Autobahn Girl look fabulous when beating Sealy Hill in an allowance. She may be small but she's got some class. The new addition to the top 10 is Early Vintage. This Team Valor filly ran, in my opinion, the most impressive maiden race by a filly in all of 2006. I had been touting her for the Breeders Cup but she got injured. She seems to be back now and could get back to the races soon. Panty Raid is also set to get back to the races soon. The Las Virgenes, a weak G-1 in my opinion but a G-1 nonetheless, should give us a good line on the Californian fillies who are admittedly absent from my top 10. I just haven't seen anything worth following from California as yet. Maybe something will emerge this weekend.

On the radar: Panty Raid, Romance Is Diane