Derby Preview 2010
By Tom Leach

There was a time when the men's NCAA Tournament was dominated by senior-laden teams but that's no longer the case.  Kentucky, the current favorite to win this year's title after Kansas was ousted, starts three freshmen.

Times have changed on the road to the Kentucky Derby, too.

It used to be that the top Derby prospects were horses that had been battle-tested through multiple graded stakes races--the toughest competition--as both two and three-year olds. 

But there's been a trend in recent years toward lighter campaigns. 

Now, we haven't yet seen the thoroughbred equivalent of a freshman win the roses, but the current favorite, Eskendereya, is probably at best an equine sophomore.

Eskendereya did not make his first start in a graded stakes race until mid-February and his dominant performance in the Fountain of Youth Stakes stamped him as one of the Derby favorites.  He'll get his final prep for the big race on April 3, when he goes postward in the Wood Memorial at New York's Aqueduct.

Ice Box, who came back to win the recent Florida Derby only served to enhance the former's reputation.  Ice Box's trainer, by the way, is Nick Zito, who has won the roses on the first Saturday in May two times.

Eskendereya is trained by Todd Pletcher, whose horses annually win many of the sport's biggest races.  The interesting angle here is that Pletcher has never won the Kentucky Derby, even though he once started five horses in the race. 

And while Eskendereya is Pletcher's most highly-touted prospect at the moment, he has several other Derby candidates in his barn, including Rule, who was a close third in that Florida Derby.

There is a leading Kentucky Derby contender who has a resume more in line with the past winners of the Run for the Roses.  That's Lookin At Lucky, who is trained by three-time Derby winner Bob Baffert.  Lookin At Lucky was a multiple graded stakes winner at two and was narrowly beaten in the year's top race for first-year runners, the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

There are still important preps to be contested on the road to Churchill Downs. 

This Saturday's Louisiana Derby has drawn a field of 13 and the following week, besides the Wood Memorial, the Santa Anita Derby will feature the best Derby prospects out west. 

The next week, Keeneland's Bluegrass Stakes and the Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park will help sort out the favorites, sort of like the conference tournaments do as a prelude to the Big Dance.

Last year's longshot Kentucky Derby winner, Mine That Bird, was something akin to Villanova's improbable NCAA Tournament win in 1985.  He hasn't won since but a horse only runs in the Derby once and if he's best on that day, he gains a degree of immortality.

Tom Leach is the voice of the Kentucky Wildcats.  Another Bluegrass tradition is part of Tom's broadcasting resume--horse racing. Tom is a two-time winner of the prestigious Eclipse Award for excellence in coverage of Thoroughbred racing. He was selected in 2008 and 2009 by Quint Events, Official Experience Package Provider for Churchill Downs, to entertain their clients for Oaks and Derby.  Learn More About Tom>>