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2001 Kentucky Derby Contenders

Updated: 05/02/01

Here you will find photos of and links to info about all the current top Derby prospects. This list will be updated regularly until post positions are drawn for the Derby when I will change it to the actual entries. This is a very preliminary list since the serious prep races are only now getting started, so expect lots of changes as we get closer to race day.

Triple Crown quick links:

NTRA Three-Year-Old Poll 4/30/01 
     HORSE              A-S STS-1-2-3   PTS  PVS  PROBABLE NEXT START   
 1.  Point Given (17)   3-C   2-2-0-0   179   1   5/5 Kentucky Derby, CD
 2.  Congaree           3-C   3-3-0-0   147   2   5/5 Kentucky Derby, CD
 3.  Monarchos  (1)     3-C   4-3-1-0   134   3   5/5 Kentucky Derby, CD
 4.  Millennium Wind    3-C   3-2-1-0   111   4   5/5 Kentucky Derby, CD
 5.  Balto Star         3-G   5-4-0-1   106   5   5/5 Kentucky Derby, CD
 6.  Dollar Bill        3-C   3-1-0-1    75   6   5/5 Kentucky Derby, CD
 7.  Fifty Stars        3-C   4-1-1-0    45   7   5/5 Kentucky Derby, CD
 8.  Express Tour       3-C   1-1-0-0    39   8   5/5 Kentucky Derby, CD
 9.  Songandaprayer     3-C   4-1-1-0    30   9   5/5 Kentucky Derby, CD
10.  Thunder Blitz      3-C   4-1-2-1    24   10  5/5 Kentucky Derby, CD

A P Valentine

 Trainer:   Nick Zito
Jockey:   Corey Nakatani
Foaling Date:   2-14-98
Dosage Profile:   10-4-20-2-2
Dosage Index/CD:   1.71   0.47 *dual qualifier*
2-year-old Record: 4 starts 2-0-1   $329,110
Note: Finished a poor fifth in the Blue Grass Stakes, beaten 13 lengths last time out.

Arctic Boy

 Trainer:   Tim Ritchey
Jockey:   Calvin Borel
Foaling Date:   3-19-98
Dosage Profile:   1-3-10-0-0
Dosage Index/CD:   1.80   0.36
2-year-old Record: 1 starts 0-0-0   $2,015
Note: 2nd in the Rebel Stakes and 11th in the Arkansas Derby.

Balto Star

 Trainer:   Todd Pletcher
Jockey:   Mark Guidry
Foaling Date:   3-7-98
Dosage Profile:   10-3-10-3-2
Dosage Index/CD:   1.80   0.57
2-year-old Record: 3 starts 0-0-0   $3,750
Note: Won the Spiral Stakes at Turfway and the Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn.

Congaree

 Trainer:   Bob Baffert
Jockey:   Victor Espinoza
Foaling Date:   4-20-98
Dosage Profile:   11-0-9-0-4
Dosage Index/CD:   1.82   0.58
2-year-old Record: 3 starts 0-0-0   $3,750
Note: Won the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct beating Monarchos.

Dollar Bill

 Trainer:   Dallas Stewart
Jockey:   Pat Day
Foaling Date:   3-27-98
Dosage Profile:   4-3-10-1-0
Dosage Index/CD:   2.00   0.56 *dual qualifier*
2-year-old Record: 5 starts 2-2-0   $258,696
Note: Rallied to finish third in the Blue Grass.

Express Tour

 Trainer:   Saeed bin Suroor
Jockey:   David Flores
Foaling Date:   2-28-98
Dosage Profile:   3-4-3-0-0
Dosage Index/CD:   5.67   1.00
2-year-old Record: 4 starts 3-1-0   $413,515
Note: Won the UAE Derby.

Fifty Stars

 Trainer:   Steve Asmussen
Jockey:   Donnie Meche
Foaling Date:   4-3-98
Dosage Profile:   8-13-11-0-0
Dosage Index/CD:   4.82   0.91
2-year-old Record: 4 starts 2-1-0   $123,960
Note: Won the Louisiana Derby with a huge late rally, followed by a second place finish in the Lone Star Derby.

Invisible Ink

 Trainer:   Todd Pletcher
Jockey:   John Velazquez
Foaling Date:   4-16-98
Dosage Profile:   9-1-8-0-0
Dosage Index/CD:   3.50   1.06
2-year-old Record: 3 starts 1-1-0   $36,060
Note: Third in the Florida Derby and fourth in the Blue Grass Stakes.

Jamaican Rum

 Trainer:   James Cassidy
Jockey:   Eddie Delahoussaye
Foaling Date:   3-11-98
Dosage Profile:   4-2-7-1-0
Dosage Index/CD:   2.11   0.64
2-year-old Record: 4 starts 1-1-0   $89,000
Note: Rallied for second in the Arkansas Derby last out.

Keats

 Trainer:   Niall O'Callaghan
Jockey:   Larry Melancon
Foaling Date:   2-24-98
Dosage Profile:   2-3-7-0-0
Dosage Index/CD:   2.43   0.58
2-year-old Record: 4 starts 1-1-1   $32,552
Note: Wire-to-wire winner of the Lexington last out.

Millennium Wind

 Trainer:   Dave Hofmans
Jockey:   Laffit Pincay
Foaling Date:   4-30-98
Dosage Profile:   12-15-10-0-1
Dosage Index/CD:   5.33   0.97
2-year-old Record: 2 starts 1-1-0   $90,300
Note: Second in the Louisiana Derby, then won wire to wire in the Blue Grass.

Monarchos

 Trainer:   John T. Ward Jr.
Jockey:   Jorge Chavez
Foaling Date:   2-9-98
Dosage Profile:   2-2-13-1-0
Dosage Index/CD:   1.40   0.28
2-year-old Record: 2 starts 0-0-1   $4,030
Note: Runaway winner of the Florida Derby, followed by a second place finish in the Wood Memorial.

Point Given

 Trainer:   Bob Baffert
Jockey:   Gary Stevens
Foaling Date:   3-27-98
Dosage Profile:   8-0-8-0-0
Dosage Index/CD:   3.00   1.00 *dual qualifier*
2-year-old Record: 6 starts 3-3-0   $618,500
Note: Impressive 2001 debut winning the San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita, followed by a 5 1/2 length victory in the Santa Anita Derby..

Songandaprayer

 Trainer:   John Dowd
Jockey:   Aaron Gryder
Foaling Date:   3-23-98
Dosage Profile:   4-5-9-0-2
Dosage Index/CD:   2.08   0.45
2-year-old Record: 2 starts 2-0-0   $66,480
Note: Winner of the Fountain of Youth finished 5th in the Florida Derby then 2nd in the Blue Grass Stakes.

Startac

 Trainer:   Simon Bray
Jockey:   Alex Solis
Foaling Date:   3-26-98
Dosage Profile:   12-3-23-0-0
Dosage Index/CD:   2.30   0.71
2-year-old Record: 3 starts 2-0-1   $154,998
Note: Unplaced in the California Derby but still may try again in Kentucky.

Talk Is Money

 Trainer:   John Scanlan
Jockey:   Jerry Bailey
Foaling Date:   2-16-98
Dosage Profile:   6-1-5-0-0
Dosage Index/CD:   3.80   1.08
2-year-old Record: 1 start 1-0-0   $34,290
Note: Dwelt at the start and showed nothing in the Fountain of Youth then 8th in the Florida Derby at Gulfstream. Managed to hold second in the Frederico Tesio behind Marciano last out.

Thunder Blitz

 Trainer:   Joe Orseno
Jockey:   Edgar Prado
Foaling Date:   5-13-98
Dosage Profile:   4-2-4-2-0
Dosage Index/CD:   2.00   0.67
2-year-old Record: 4 starts 1-0-1   $31,080
Note: Won the Flamingo Stakes by 6 3/4 lengths last out.

Horses unlikely to make the Derby

On the Forum:


All photos by Cindy Pierson or Terence Dulay except Ommadon courtesy of Deborah Kral.

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