1)(1) Quality Road - Elusive Quality - Kobla By Strawberry Road (AUS) (Mar) (Home Bred) Quality Road remains the top horse on ThoroughbredZone’s Kentucky Derby 12.  Things were rolling right along until a quarter crack on his back foot surfaced after the Florida Derby.  It looked like it could very well derail his trip to Churchill, and still could.  Quarter Cracks are bad news.  Big Brown battled against quarter crack issues the entire Triple Crown series.  The good news is the foot has improved a great deal.  They patched it up.  He went to the Belmont training track and worked a nice 5-furlong breeze in 1:02 on April 10.  The plan is to give him one strong work about 5 days before the Derby.  Quality Road has put together two blockbuster races at Gulfstream Park to earn the top spot.  A big effort out running several speed demons in the Fountain of Youth, and fending off a hard charging Dunkirk in the Florida Derby in record time, all be it the track was playing fast that day.  He still arguably ran the best prep by any 3-year-old this year.  Quality Road kicked into another gear when collared by Dunkirk to turn him back.  It was an impressive turn of foot, when he asked for more.  The Derby will be his 5th career start for the son of Elusive Quality.  Moreover, the possibility for further progression exists with this horse.  Quality Road has tactical speed, and the way this is race is shaping up, he could very well decide to take it to them right out of the gate on the front end.  The Pamplemousse and Old Fashioned, two expected front-runners are gone.  The 5-week break between the Florida Derby and Kentucky Derby has proven successful over the past few years with Barbaro and Big Brown.  Quality Road’s quarter crack issue will remain a concern.  If he gets there 0 he looks like a big player. 

2)(2) I Want Revenge - Stephen Got Even - Meguial (Arg) By Roy (Mar) ($95,000) I Want Revenge stays in the #2 slot.  He followed up his impressive Gotham win with another big effort in the Wood Memorial.  The amazing trip of I Want Revenge is still a hot topic in the racing world, breaking last out of the gate, fought traffic issues in the stretch and drew clear to win the Wood Memorial in impressive fashion.  The question of whether he can handle traffic was answered with a resounding yes.  It was a super effort for this horse that had overcame a few obstacles to win the race.  It looked like it was a tough race for him.  How much it might have taken out of him could be a question mark, and the question could be, has he run his best race?  Jockey Joe Talamo say’s he only had to run hard late.  It would be hard to top his Wood effort.  He covered the mile and an eighth in 1.49:49.  His poly races were good, but not good enough to get by Pioneerof the Nile.  If Pioneerof the Nile is the goods, I Want Revenge is a big player in Louisville.  He proved he likes dirt.  He galloped out nicely after he hit the wire in the Wood Memorial.  Is he fast enough?  That is the question as with most.  Distance should not be an issue.  He can get the mile and a quarter.

3)(4) Pioneerof the Nile - Empire Maker - Star of Goshen By Lord at War (May) ($290,000) Pioneerof the Nile moves up a slot to the #3 position.  He has kind of been flying under the radar out west, but the horse has accomplished some good things.  Horse has a good foundation.  He raced as a 2-year-old, and swept through the California preps in good, workman like fashion.  He looks like he would like a faster pace, but has shown the ability to get into the race if need be.  He is maturing at the right time.  He was the winner of the Santa Anita Derby in 1.49.17 for the mile and an eighth.  He is a May foal which puts him behind others in the maturation department.  Another plus is the fact both I Want Revenge and Papa Clem came back to win the Wood Memorial and Arkansas Derby.  That has to be viewed as a positive.  Bob Baffert is no stranger to the Kentucky Derby.  He knows how to get a horse ready to run a big one on that day.  The nagging question of whether he will handle dirt still exists, and there have been some who say dirt is not his preferred surface.  He could just be a poly specialist.  Anyway, you look at it, this guy has a few more positives, than negatives at this point.  The only real question is, will he be fast enough on dirt?

4)(3) Dunkirk - Unbridled’s Song - Secret Status By A.P. Indy (Jan) ($3.7 Million) The lightly raced Team Tabor horse looks like he will make it into the field for the Kentucky Derby after all.  Graded earnings have been a big issue.  He ran a bold race in the Florida Derby when he went after and caught Quality Road, and passed him briefly, but was turned back.  Dunkirk will go into the Derby lightly raced.  The Kentucky Derby will be only his 4th career start, and it will be at a mile and a quarter in a 20-horse field.  Curlin and Big Brown were both lightly raced and turned in big efforts.  Is Dunkirk as good as those are?  Another obstacle is his foundation; he did not race a 2-year-old.  Neither did Curlin.  The flip side for Dunkirk is he could have very well not run his top race yet.  His big sweeping move in the Florida Derby was a power move going against a track that did favor speed.  He looked like a winner, passing Quality Road, but could not match Quality Road’s big late kick.  He will appreciate a quick pace up front, so he can launch his big move.  Todd Pletcher has had little success in the Derby, but at the same time has not had a horse good enough to win it.  This 3.7 million dollar colt looks like he will make a late bid.  He has class to garner a price tag like that.  He galloped out nicely after the Florida Derby.  Connections won the Roses with Thunder Gulch.

5)(-)Papa Clem - Smart Strike - Miss Houdini By Mr. Prospector (Feb) (Home Bred) Papa Clem debuts in the #5 spot after his big Arkansas Derby win. **Rest At http://www.ThoroughbredZone.Com**