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The Triple Crown is in the rear-view mirror, but several of the Kentucky Derby contenders from this spring will continue to make a major impact as they begin to face older horses this summer and fall.

Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner California Chrome got a short break after his disappointing fourth-place finish in the Belmont Stakes, derailing his bid to become just the 12th Triple Crown winner in history.

The colt had won his previous six races including winning the Kentucky Derby at betting odds of 5-2 and the Preakness Stakes at odds of 1-2.

After a break this summer, his trainer Art Sherman plans on running him in a prep race, most likely at Los Alamitos, and then the colt will take on older foes in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita on Nov. 1.

For those that bet on Kentucky Derby online and did not have the winner, there are several runners that could score in the second half of the year.

Danza, who was third in the Run for the Roses at Kentucky Derby odds of 8-1, skipped the Preakness and was pointed toward the Belmont Stakes, but trainer Todd Pletcher was not satisfied with his works and the talented colt got a break, but should come back running later this year.

Kentucky Derby runner up Commanding Curve and fourth-place finisher Wicked Strong could show up in two key stakes for three-year-olds this summer, the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park and the Travers Stakes at Saratoga.

One of the best of the three-year-old-crop is Shared Belief, who did not make an appearance in the Triple Crown due to foot issues. The colt won the Hollywood Prevue and CashCall Futurity last year and won the Eclipse Award for top juvenile.

Back in February, the colt was the third choice in early Kentucky Derby betting at 15-1, but his foot issues knocked him out and he did not make his three-year-old debut until May 26 where he won an allowance race at Golden Gate Fields.

The colt made his first career start on conventional dirt in his most recent outing, the Los Alamitos Derby, and he ran huge, drawing away from Candy Boy to win by 4¼ lengths. Candy Boy had finished third in the Santa Anita Derby and a troubled 13th in the Kentucky Derby in his previous two starts. The colt was the fourth choice in Kentucky Derby odds at 9-1.

Next up for Shared Belief is the Pacific Classic at Del Mar where it will be back to a synthetic surface. The Pacific Classic will be run on Aug. 14, which will be his first start against older runners.

The late developing Tonalist is another three-year-old to keep an eye on. The colt did not make the Kentucky Derby or Preakness, but won the Belmont Stakes in his last start on June 7 at betting odds of 9-1.

His trainer Christophe Clement is pointing the colt to the Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga on July 26, a prep race for the marquee race for three-year olds this summer, the Travers Stakes, which will be contested on Aug. 23 at Saratoga

With the handicap division weaker than in previous years, look for California Chrome, Shared Belief, Tonalist, Danza, Commanding Curve, and Wicked Strong to be serious threats in top stakes during the second half of 2014.

It has been 35 years since Affirmed last won the Triple Crown and over the last three decades we have seen a dozen horses show up in New York to attempt to join the elite club, but all have come up short. This year, California Chrome will seek to become an all-time great by sweeping the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Stakes.

With a modest pedigree, by a sprint sire that stands for just $2,500 out of a mare that was purchased for just $8,000, the colt has already bucked the odds. He has won eight of his 12 career starts and comes into the Belmont Stakes riding a six-race winning streak.

Horse bettors have jumped onboard, making him the 3-5 heavy betting favorite for the race, a 1 ½-mile test where he will face 10 foes looking to derail his Triple Crown bid.

Trained by Art Sherman and ridden by Victor Espinoza, the colt was sent off as the 5-2 betting favorite for the Kentucky Derby and did not disappoint, surging to the lead heading for home and holding off the late running Commanding Curve by 1 ¾ lengths.

Two weeks later in Baltimore the colt was sent off at 1-2 odds and again did not disappoint his backers, winning by 1 ½ lengths over the late rallying Ride On Curlin.

Now it is on to New York where the colt will have a target on his back for the race. He faces a solid field that includes a pair of runners he beat in both Triple Crown races, four runners that ran in the Derby and bypassed the Preakness to be fresh for the Belmont, and four foes that will be making their first start in a Triple Crown race this year.

The second choice in the betting at 6-1 is Wicked Strong, who was fourth in the Kentucky Derby and skipped the Preakness. The colt did not have the best of trips after stumbling out of the 19 post and catching some traffic in the stretch.

Horses losing the Derby and skipping the Preakness have had a good record in the Belmont Stakes. The last two winners, Palace Malice and Union Rags were beaten in Louisville and came back five weeks later to win the Belmont. In fact, since 2000 seven runners have accomplished the feat.

Among the new shooters are the top two finishers of the Peter Pan Stakes – the winner Tonalist and runner up Commissioner.

Tonalist, who is at betting odds of 8-1, took to the sloppy conditions at Belmont Park and won the Peter Pan by four lengths. The colt breaks from the far outside in the Belmont, but figures to be an early pace factor.

Peter Pan runner up Commissioner is trained by Todd Pletcher, who saddled last year’s winner as well as the 2007 winner, the filly Rags to Riches. The colt has a stellar pedigree, by A.P. Indy, who won the 1992 Belmont Stakes, and he is out of a mare that was sired by another Belmont Stakes winner, Touch Gold who won the 1997 running.

Two runners join California Chrome that competed in all three Triple Crown races. Ride On Curlin (12-1) was seventh in the Derby and a fast closing second in the Preakness, while General A Rod (20-1) was 11th in the Derby and improved to fourth in the Preakness.

Completing the field are longshots Matterhorn (30-1), Matuszak (30-1) and Samraat (20-1).

Can California Chrome become the 12th Triple Crown winner? Place your wagers and tune into NBC, with post time for the Belmont Stakes at 6:52pm (ET).

California Chrome lived up to all the hype in the 2014 Run for the Roses, opening up a clear lead down the stretch at the race and holding off a late surge by longshot Commanding Curve to win the 140th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on Saturday, May 3.

Under bright sunshine, the second largest crowd in the race’s history (164,906), many adorned in their traditional Kentucky Derby hats, witnessed just the sixth betting favorite in the last 26 years to successfully get the job done, and the colt certainly did it in style.

Under a perfect ride from jockey Victor Espinoza, the strapping colt tracked a moderate early pace while sitting three paths off the rail, took over the lead in the race with a quarter-mile remaining, and then increased his advantage until he was clear late, with Espinoza doing some late celebrating just before the wire, lifting his arm in triumph as the colt crossed the wire 1¾ lengths ahead of the runner-up to pay off on the Kentucky Derby odds at the sportsbooks.

The early Kentucky Derby betting at the sportsbooks had it pegged correctly. For horseplayers that bet on the Kentucky Derby online and picked California Chrome, the odds on the winner were 60-1 way back in February and 3-1 as recently as two weeks ago.

During Derby week the colt had been bet down to as low as 21-10 odds, and ended up paying $7.00 for the win. The runner-up Commanding Curve rallied from far back at betting odds of 37-1 and completed a $2 exacta that returned $340.00.

Commanding Curve is trained by Dallas Stewart, who saddled last year’s runner-up Golden Soul, who went off at odds of 34-1 at the Kentucky Derby and completed a $2 exacta with the betting favorite Orb ($12.80) that returned $981.60.

California Chrome will next head to Pimlico in Baltimore for the Preakness Stakes, the second jewel of the Triple Crown, having won five races in a row. The colt came into this year’s Run for the Roses off some impressive final preps, winning the San Felipe by 7¼ lengths and then the Santa Anita Derby by 5¼ lengths.

The colt is trained by 77-year-old Art Sherman, who was the exercise rider for Swaps, who won the Kentucky Derby nearly six decades ago.

Danza, who was sent off as the third choice on the Kentucky Derby lines at 8-1, completed a $2 trifecta that paid bettors $3,424.60. The second choice in the betting for the race was Wicked Strong (6-1), who checked in fourth, with the $1 superfecta returning $15,383.80.

Among the Kentucky Derby contenders that did not fare well at Churchill Downs this year was Candy Boy, who had seen a surge of late betting action, going from 16-1 down to 9-1 at post time. The colt got roughed up going into the first turn of the Kentucky Derby and was not a threat in a 13th-place finish.

After months of watching stakes racing, following the points leaderboards and fastidiously monitoring the health of various colts, the field for the 2014 Kentucky Derby from Churchill Downs is set. Let’s take a look at who’ll be part of the Run for the Roses on Saturday. Coverage of the race starts at 4 PM ET on NBC.

California Chrome Leads the Field, Hoppertunity Out

The odds-on favorite going into the race is California Chrome, currently sitting at 11-4. History and geography aren’t exactly on the colt’s side – only three California-bred and trained horses have ever won the Derby, and California Chrome is from the west coast. The three previous California Derby winners were Morvich in 1922, Swaps in 1955 and Decidedly in 1962, meaning California Chrome could be the first to represent Cali in the winner’s circle for the first time in 52 years.

After California Chrome on the Derby odds was Hoppertunity, who came in second to the colt in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby. However, Bob Baffert pulled the horse due to a foot problem.

Next up is Wicked Strong coming in at 7-1. Another horse from a non-traditional racing state (Massachusetts), he raised some eyebrows by capturing the $590,000 Wood Memorial a few weeks back, surprising a field that included two undefeated colts, Social Inclusion and Samraat (who won the Gotham Stakes). Wicked Strong came in as a 9-1 longshot and for the majority of the race looked as though he was finished – until he caught the outside down the stretch and sailed home, winning the race by three and a half lengths, and more importantly, secured enough points to guarantee a berth in the Kentucky Derby. Wicked Strong’s original name was actually Boston Strong, in honor of those affected by the tragedy at last year’s Boston Marathon, but after learning another stable had already laid claim to the name, his ownership group decided to use the popular colloquial “Wicked” instead. The rest, as they say, is history.

The third favorite, at least according to oddsmakers, is Danza at 9-1 – and in case you’re wondering, yes, the horse is named after Who’s the Boss star Tony Danza. Danza’s sire is a stallion by the name of Street Boss – hence the play on “Who’s the Boss?” – and the colt burst onto the scene recently by capturing the Arkansas Derby as a 40-1 longshot. Danza had been one to watch earlier this season, especially after a third-place finish at Saratoga last August, but fell off the map in the heart of the stakes season due to a knee injury. The win at Arkansas really boosted his stock, though, and he’s looking like a serious player at Churchill.

As for the Rest…

The rest of the field looks like this: Samraat at 16-1, Intense Holiday at 18-1, Dance With Fate at 20-1, Ride on Curlin at 20-1, Vicar’s in Trouble at 20-1, Wildcat Red at 20-1, Tapiture at 28-1, Social Inclusion at 33-1, General a Rod at 33-1, Chitu at 33-1, We Miss Artie at 40-1, Medal Count at 40-1, Commanding Curve at 40-1, Uncle Sigh at 40-1, Vinceremos at 50-1, Harry’s Holiday at 50-1 and Pablo Del Monte at 50-1.

Looking for a sleeper pick? Want to throw your Kentucky Derby hats into the ring? Try getting down with Chitu at 33-1; he won the Grade 3 Stakes at Sunland and finished second in the Grade 2 at Robert B. Lewis. Chitu’s a good dirt runner that can tear it up with his speed, which is a good asset to bring to Churchill.  

Kentucky Derby Post Positions

1. Vicar’s In Trouble (Rosie Napravnik)

2. Harry’s Holiday (Corey Lanerie)

3. Uncle Sigh (Irad Ortiz Jr)

4. Danza (Joe Bravo)

5. California Chrome (Victor Espinoza)

6. Samraat (Jose Ortiz)

7. We Miss Artie (Javier Castellano)

8. General a Rod (Joel Rosario)

9. Vinceremos (Joe Rocco Jr)

10. Wildcat Red (Luis Saez)

11. Dance With Fate (Corey Nakatani)

12. Chitu (Martin Garcia)

13. Medal Count (Robby Albarado)

14. Tapiture (Ricardo Santana Jr)

15. Intense Holiday (John Velazquez)

16. Commanding Curve (Shaun Bridgmohan)

17. Candy Boy (Gary Stevens)

18. Ride On Curlin (Calvin Borel)

19. Wicked Strong (Rajiv Maragh)

20. Pablo Del Monte (Jeffrey Sanchez)

Things are getting dicey as we draw closer and closer to the biggest date on the annual horse racing calendar, the Kentucky Derby. Horses, trainers and owners continue to jockey for points and positioning, while a number of others are deciding if they want to go to Churchill Downs – or if they’re even healthy enough to attend.

Cairo Prince Ruled Out

There will be no Kentucky Derby this year for Cairo Prince, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin confirmed. The Holy Bull Stakes winner has suffered a near-fore fetlock injury, and while it won’t require surgery, it will keep Cairo Prince out of at least the annual Run for the Roses and perhaps the Preakness and Belmont too, though McLaughlin wasn’t prepared to say if either race was a possibility just yet.

From a betting perspective, Cairo Prince’s exclusion is big news. He’s been on the Derby radar since last year, when he won the Nashua Stakes as a 2-year-old, then showed extremely well in a runner-up performance to Honor Code at the Remsen. It was expected many who bet on Kentucky Derby online would’ve wagered on Cairo Prince, with McLaughlin calling it a “sad day” in having to announce the horse’s departure from the Derby field.

Keep an Eye on Commanding Curve

Dallas Stewart has been here before, and he’s hoping for similar results.

Stewart, who rose to prominence at last year’s Derby with Golden Soul, is optimistic that his horse for this year’s Kentucky Derby – Commanding Curve – can reap some similar results at Churchill.

A quick refresher for those unfamiliar with Stewart: one year ago, he was on the fence with Golden Soul, unsure if the colt would even qualify for the Derby (sitting 28th at one time on the points leaderboard). A late surge and some drop-outs got Golden Soul into the field, though, and that’s when things went crazy – a 34-1 longshot for the Derby, Golden Soul stunned onlookers and nearly pulled a gigantic upset, finishing second to Orb in a very exciting race.

Now, Stewart is hoping for the same luck.

Commanding Curve is right on the cusp of the Derby, currently sitting 21st on the points leaderboard. He got some good news last week when Bob Baffert pulled Midnight Hawk out of contention, and could get some more in the not-too-distant future considering Sunland Derby winner Chitu is highly questionable to run at Churchill too.

For bettors, Commanding Curve is certainly one to watch. He’s won at Churchill before and recently put forth a solid third-place showing at the Louisiana Derby, and has run in a number of highly-competitive fields (finishing sixth at the Risen Star, for example). But what horse racing enthusiasts will want to pay close attention to, though, is what odds Commanding Curve will carry into the Derby. As Stewart’s shown in the past, he has an affinity for getting underdogs to perform well in big moments.

Things are getting dicey as we draw closer and closer to the biggest date on the annual horse racing calendar, the Kentucky Derby. Horses, trainers and owners continue to jockey for points and positioning, while a number of others are deciding if they want to go to Churchill Downs – or if they’re even healthy enough to attend.

Cairo Prince Ruled Out

There will be no Kentucky Derby this year for Cairo Prince, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin confirmed. The Holy Bull Stakes winner has suffered a near-fore fetlock injury, and while it won’t require surgery, it will keep Cairo Prince out of at least the annual Run for the Roses and perhaps the Preakness and Belmont too, though McLaughlin wasn’t prepared to say if either race was a possibility just yet.

From a betting perspective, Cairo Prince’s exclusion is big news. He’s been on the Derby radar since last year, when he won the Nashua Stakes as a 2-year-old, then showed extremely well in a runner-up performance to Honor Code at the Remsen. It was expected many who bet on Kentucky Derby online would’ve wagered on Cairo Prince, with McLaughlin calling it a “sad day” in having to announce the horse’s departure from the Derby field.

Keep an Eye on Commanding Curve

Dallas Stewart has been here before, and he’s hoping for similar results.

Stewart, who rose to prominence at last year’s Derby with Golden Soul, is optimistic that his horse for this year’s Kentucky Derby – Commanding Curve – can reap some similar results at Churchill.

A quick refresher for those unfamiliar with Stewart: one year ago, he was on the fence with Golden Soul, unsure if the colt would even qualify for the Derby (sitting 28th at one time on the points leaderboard). A late surge and some drop-outs got Golden Soul into the field, though, and that’s when things went crazy – a 34-1 longshot for the Derby, Golden Soul stunned onlookers and nearly pulled a gigantic upset, finishing second to Orb in a very exciting race.

Now, Stewart is hoping for the same luck.

Commanding Curve is right on the cusp of the Derby, currently sitting 21st on the points leaderboard. He got some good news last week when Bob Baffert pulled Midnight Hawk out of contention, and could get some more in the not-too-distant future considering Sunland Derby winner Chitu is highly questionable to run at Churchill too.

For bettors, Commanding Curve is certainly one to watch. He’s won at Churchill before and recently put forth a solid third-place showing at the Louisiana Derby, and has run in a number of highly-competitive fields (finishing sixth at the Risen Star, for example). But what horse racing enthusiasts will want to pay close attention to, though, is what odds Commanding Curve will carry into the Derby. As Stewart’s shown in the past, he has an affinity for getting underdogs to perform well in big moments.

What we’re seeing, at least in terms of the latest news and Kentucky Derby odds, is a clearer picture of the horses that have already racked up enough points to qualify for the big day at Churchill Downs. With the race just weeks away, now’s the time to find out all you can about the Derby’s top contenders.

Borel Regains Ride On Curlin Mount

Celebrated trainer “Bronco” Billy Gowan and owner Dan Dougherty aren’t messing around when it comes to this year’s Kentucky Derby as their prized colt, Ride On Curlin, will be ridden by three-time Derby winner Calvin Borel. Borel and Ride On Curlin achieved great success in the points races leading up to the Derby, setting a track record at Ellis Park earlier this season (5 ½ furlongs in 1:03) while capturing first place at Oaklawn this year.

Borel had previously shared saddling duties with another three-time Derby winner – Kent Desormeaux – but Gowan expressed disappointment in how Desormeaux handled Ride On Curlin at the Rebel Stakes in mid-March. Ride On Curlin finished a distant third after looking the part of a first-place challenger for most of the race; he had 12/1 odds to win. Therefore Gowan and Dougherty decided to go back to Borel.

Borel, who won the 2010 Derby on Super Saver, the ’09 on Mine That Bird and the ’07 on Street Sense, knows how to get the most out of his colts at Churchill.

Dance with Fate Earns His Spot, But Will He Go?

It’s one of those decisions that keeps trainers up at night.

Dance With Fate, a relatively inexperienced three-year-old colt, booked his place in the Kentucky Derby with a solid win at the Blue Grass Stakes (coming in first at odds of 6-1) – yet trainer Peter Eurton is unsure if the horse should be running at Churchill.

Why?

The answer is: dirt.

Dance With Fate is far more comfortable on synthetic, Eurton explained, and the trainer is unsure if his horse would be able to successfully transition to the Churchill Down dirt track in such a short period of time (we’re talking weeks here, which isn’t much of an adjustment period for the horses.)

Jockey Corey Nakatani, who rode Dance With Fate to the win at the Blue Grass, also expressed hesitation in wanting to go to the Derby, saying it’s “all a matter if he can handle” the adjustment.

So for now, stay tuned. Eurton is expected to announce his decision on the Derby soon.

Cairo Prince Books Spot

Cairo Prince had been, at times, one of the hot-ticket colts earlier in the Derby season, one many expected to see on race day. Well, Cairo Price is now definitely going – but it wasn’t easy. Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin was breathing a sigh of relief after learning Cairo Prince finished 20^th on the points list after the first prep race cut-off, meaning he’d qualified to run at the Derby.

The horse had some nervous times earlier in the season when he put up a poor fourth-place finish at the Florida Derby in March, leaving the training staff in doubt if Cairo would even get to the Kentucky Derby.

The horse did, though, but that doesn’t mean they’re in the clear. McLaughlin’s team is looking to make some noise at the annual Run for the Roses, and will need to improve Cairo’s form if they’re going to achieve that.

We’re now just weeks away from the biggest and most exciting date on the horse racing calendar – the 2014 Kentucky Derby, to be run at Churchill Downs.

And, as we’ve seen in years past, the lead-up to the Derby is proving to be nearly as exciting as the big race. A number of colts have moved up and down the points leaderboard in the quest to earn a berth in the Derby field – or in certain cases – stave off elimination. So without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the horses making noise as the Derby draws near.

Keep an Eye on Wicked Strong

Most don’t consider Boston (or the state of Massachusetts in general) a real hotspot for producing horses, but a runner by the name of Wicked Strong is looking to change that.

Owned by Centennial Farms in Beverly, Massachusetts, Wicked Strong raised some eyebrows recently by capturing the $590,000 Wood Memorial, surprising a field that included two undefeated colts, Social Inclusion and Samraat (who won the Gotham Stakes). Wicked Strong came in as a 9-1 longshot and for the majority of the race, looked as though he was finished – until he caught the outside down the stretch and sailed home, winning the race by three and a half lengths and more importantly, secured enough points to guarantee a berth in the Kentucky Derby.

Wicked Strong’s name was actually first “Boston Strong,” until Centennial president Don Little Jr learned another stable had already swept up the name. So one night (at a Bruins hockey game, fittingly), Little and some guests in a suite suggested “Wicked Strong” to pay tribute to the Bostonian lingo.

And the Boston ties don’t end there.

Just to ensure the public that he’s not trying to leverage the now-infamous Boston Marathon tragedy and subsequent “Boston Strong” catchphrase, Little is giving back; he and partners will donate five percent of all of Wicked Strong’s Triple Crown winnings to The One Fund, a charity formed by Governor Deval Patrick and Mayor Thomas M. Menino, designed to help those most affected by the Marathon bombings.

Albano Out

Owner and breeder Brereton C. Jones announced this week that his colt, Albano, would be held out of the Kentucky Derby despite a very strong showing in the lead-up season.

You might remember Albano from his fourth-place finish at the Louisiana Derby, or his pair of second place finishes in the Risen Star Stakes and the Lecomte (both were run at the Fair Grounds). While he wasn’t tagged as a major Kentucky Derby contender, Albano did have enough going for him points-wise to get into the mix with another good performance.

Jones, though, simply feels his horse isn’t ready.

Jones noted that Albano was a May colt, and that he lacked the maturity and poise to make an impact at Churchill Downs. How Albano’s departure affects the field remains to be seen. He had 34 points and was inside the top 20 to qualify for the race, so horses on the bubble have to be pleased with this latest development.

With the big race drawing closer and closer, the latest Kentucky Derby betting news is shifting from who might qualify for the field to who’s clinched their spots.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at which ponies will be in the mix for the annual Run for the Roses.

Constitution and Vicar’s In Trouble Clinch

Constitution booked his place in the Kentucky Derby field with a stellar showing at the Florida Derby, capturing 100 points which will be more than enough to see him run at Churchill Downs later this season.

Constitution got the points on the strength of a scintillating rail run to catch and beat Wildcat Red, running the one-eighth mile track in a sizzling 1:49.16. The win returned $8.60 as Constitution bested the eight-colt field – a field that included early Derby favorite Cairo Prince, who was a massive disappointment on the day and finished in fourth place (still managing to muster 10 Derby points, however.)

Vicar’s In Trouble also booked his spot at Churchill by capturing the Louisiana Derby, and he did it in style. The Vicar (we’ll use that shorthand name moving forward) also returned $8.60 for the win, knocking off the favored Intense Holiday in the process. The race was actually noteworthy for two reasons – one, The Vicar’s surprise victory and two, the fact In Trouble was disqualified from his fourth place finish (losing 10 crucial points in the process) after it was judged he came out and bumped Albano twice during the race. With that decision, Albano jumped up to finish fourth and secured the 10 points.

Keep an Eye on Toast of New York

There’s a colt running overseas that could be a dark horse come Derby time.

Toast of New York, ridden by Jamie Spencer and saddled by Jamie Osborne, cleaned up at the prestigious UAE Derby in Dubai recently, and earned 100 points in the process. Thing is, nobody’s sure if Toast of New York will make the trip across the Atlantic to run in the Derby – he’s never run on dirt before – and it’s unclear if Osborne will take the risk given there’s so little time between now and the Derby. He recently said it’s “not impossible” for Toast of New York to take the challenge on, but added he hadn’t really given it too much consideration.

And then There’s Ring Weekend

Trained by Graham Motion and ridden by Daniel Centeno, Ring Weekend is an interesting case study as the Derby draws near. Motion knows a thing or two about winning at Churchill – he had Animal Kingdom in 2011 – and Ring Weekend impressed many by crushing the field at the Tampa Bay Derby. He’s posted a 6-2-1-2 record over 11 races thus far and has 50 Derby points, to go along with 24-1 odds to win it all. The question, it seems, is if Ring Weekend’s faced enough stiff competition to be ready for Churchill. The field at Tampa Bay was pretty weak, and that was his most recent signature victory.

As we draw closer and closer to the annual Run for the Roses at Churchill Downs, it’s becoming apparent that the rigors of the Kentucky Derby stakes season is beginning to take its toll. A number of quality colts have pulled up lame, and like in the case of one particular pre-Derby favorite, have been ruled out of the big race entirely.

Honor Code Out of the Derby

What looked to be Shug McGaughey’s best chance at repeating as Kentucky Derby champion took a major hit recently when his prized horse – Honor Code – was ruled out of the Triple Crown with a slight ligament tear.

McGaughey told the New York Racing Association’s media department that Honor Code suffered the injury to the upper suspensory ligament in his right hind leg, adding that it would heal properly and that trainers would re-evaluate the injury in two months’ time.

Honor Code was a hot favorite earlier in the Kentucky Derby betting season after a scintillating showing, capped off with a brilliant win over another Derby favorite, Cairo Price, at the Remsen at Aqueduct. Honor code also finished second to another strong runner, Havana, in his second start of the season at the Grade I Champagne at Belmont.

Injuries were an issue for Honor Code throughout the season, however. His debut was delayed by bruising in his hind ankles. He’s been in and out of action for the past few weeks, running a half mile in 48.12 prior to the $1 Million Wood Memorial at Aqueduct – a race he’ll no longer run, obviously.

As mentioned, McGaughey won last year’s Derby, the first of his career, with Orb – and many thought Honor Code was good enough to get McGaughey in the roses this year as well. McGaughey is now without a runner in this year’s Derby.

Chitu Emerges

Another talented trainer with Derby experience isn’t suffering the same fate as McGaughey.

Bob Baffert, who last won the Kentucky Derby in 2002 with War Emblem, has found himself another quality contender for this year’s race – Chitu, a horse owned by veteran showjumper Susan Chu. Chitu captured the $800,000 Sundland Derby  at Sundland Park recently (widely regarded as the top race at the top track in New Mexico), giving Baffert yet another option for success at Churchill Downs this spring, and definitely one to watch in terms of online horse odds.

It’s still unclear if Chitu will head to Churchill – he’ll need to stockpile points and is pretty inexperienced; following the race, assistant trainer Jim Barnes said the decision will ultimately be deferred to Baffert. If Chitu does go, though, watch out – the horse won the Sundland in impressive fashion, beating a strong competitor in Midnight Hawk by two lengths at the wire, picking up a cool 50 Derby points in the process.

Speaking of Midnight Hawk, guess what? It’s yet another Baffert horse! Yes, Baffert’s colts finished one-two at Sundland, and the legendary trainer (who wasn’t in attendance) was reported to be thrilled with how the stablemates competed against one another. This could mean big things for the Baffert camp come May 2 at Churchill Downs.