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Pegasus heads crowded Derby pack
Posted: Thursday April 27, 2000 05:04 PM
Sports Illustrated's Mark Beech ranks the top Kentucky Derby contenders as of April 27. Look for more Triple Crown rankings and analysis as we come down the stretch and head for the Derby.
| Triple Crown Rankings | |
Rank | Horse | Odds | Trainer | The Skinny |
| 1 | Fusaichi Pegasus | 4-1 | Neil Drysdale | Clear favorite this week, but the Mr. Prospector colt has been training awfully lightly at Churchill Downs since his victory in the Wood Memorial. He's also been behaving erratically in morning workouts. How will he handle 150,000 fans? |
| 2 | The Deputy | 6-1 | Jenine Sahadi | Toughness and experience might make this compact colt the one to beat in a Derby field that's expected to reach the 20-horse maximum. He's training well at Churchill, and should be ready to roll come May 6. |
| 3 | War Chant | 8-1 | Neil Drysdale | Supremely talented colt will be wearing blinkers for the first time in the Derby, a change that should help him keep his eyes on the road. If he doesn't stop to smell the roses during the race, he may very well end up wearing them in the winner's circle. |
| 4 | High Yield | 10-1 | D. Wayne Lukas | How many more tough races can he possibly run? He'll need at least one more if he's going to win in Louisville. Because of his durability, he can't be counted out, but front-runners like him usually don't win the Derby. |
| 5 | Captain Steve | 10-1 | Bob Baffert | How can I move him up again even though he hasn't run since April 8? First, he loves Churchill (he's won there before), and he's been training great since he finished third in the Santa Anita Derby. Second, he's trained by a man who has won two of the last three Derbies. Steve's got a shot, though I would be surprised if he wins it all. |
| 6 | Aptitude | 12-1 | Joe Orseno | In a field full of good horses, this closer will probably provide a decent price on Derby day. He's short on experience, but as the distances stretch out, so will he. A threat. |
| 7 | More Than Ready | 15-1 | Todd Pletcher | He has done everything asked of him so far, running longer distances and challenging from off the pace. He's heroically willing, but he just might not be able to go a mile and a quarter. If he outruns his pedigree, however, watch out. Might be better suited to the Preakness. |
| 8 | Anees | 20-1 | Alex Hassinger | Last year's two-year-old champion has had to make up a lot of ground to get to this point. With impressive showings in the Southern California preps, he's proven that he belongs, but he hasn't shown that he can win. The Derby might be too much too soon. |
| 9 | Wheelaway | 25-1 | John C. Kimmel | Tampa Bay Derby winner stepped up a class by placing an impressive third in the Blue Grass Stakes. Unraced as a two-year-old, he'll be trying to overcome history: no such colt has won the Derby since Apollo in 1882. He's good, but the bet here is that he's no Apollo.
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| 10 | Graeme Hall | 35-1 | Todd Pletcher | He wired the field while winning the Arkansas Derby. On May 6, though, he won't be running away from anybody. A victory would be a major surprise.
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