Derby Trail

My Derby pick Stormello receives a little ink today. Nice Steve Haskin article in the Blood Horse. Fans tend too quickly write off horses with bad performances. In the long run for me it's conditioning and talent. If you have both, lookout. With Stormello the conditioning is a question as it's unknown what he does on non-breeze days, and I'm unable to buy that he faded in the Florida Derby due to his flight problems. He had the same flight problems in FOY and went on. While I agree Stormello look flat in his last race from the get go, the immediate fade at the eight pole was related to something else imo besides the flight. And so, I'm encouraged in terms of my prediction to see Currin take the horse the entire 1 1/4 miles in yesterday's breeze. This sort of legit training that will make this talented horse dangerous in the Derby.

As to the Blue Grass and the Arkansas Derby, again some interesting races building up. Let's just predict that the best training job in many a year has been done by C. Nafzger, and believe you'll see that on Saturday. As to the Arkansas Derby, a handicapping perplexity with numerous contenders. D. Wayne (I don't work horses) Lukas suddenly decided to "work" the big horse Flying First Class. Lukas is one of the better non-work day trainers, and so, consider the Lukas horse dangerous in Arkansas.

The RR predictions: Street Sense is the no brainer. I've written that Asmussen might be under estimated as a trainer, and I believe thus Curlin will be tough, but, a lukewarm thought that Wayne Lukas might pull this off.