Kentucky Derby Top 5

Written on March 6 — eve of the Tampa Bay Derby, Gotham, and San Felipe.

The top 4 clearly have separated — at least in my mind — from the rest of the pack. The 5th spot is a tough one — reasonable arguments could be made for Khozan, Far from Over, Daredevil, Ocean Knight, the injured Texas Red, and Prospect Park. However, I narrowly selected Ocho Ocho Ocho on the strength of his undefeated record, two stakes wins, including the Delta Jackpot, and his distance pedigree.

#5: Ocho Ocho Ocho

 

#4: American Pharoah

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Pharoah Sanders, whose name matches the spelling of American Pharoah (not Pharaoh), is a legendary jazz saxophonist.)

#3: Carpe Diem

#2: Upstart

(Finding a picture to represent Upstart is very tough. Thought about Uber, Fox TV, and the USFL, but I’ll stay true to the dictionary definitition — a person who has risen suddenly to wealth or high position.)

#1: Dortmund

 

Cover image: Staci Myers, Copyright 2009.