[b]War Emblem[/b] is the only horse to win the Kentucky Derby this century from the front end. [b]California Chrome[/b] ran right on the pace last year and won. But that is not the running style most likely to win.

Apparently Bob Baffert trains his horse by chasing them with packs of wolves or weighted down lions. Thereby instilling the fear of the quarry into them and very few consequently can win by passing horses.

So, when and if [b]Dortmund[/b] meets [b]American Pharaoh[/b] in the Kentucky Derby @ short odds it seems to me they will beat each other. Further they are not the only expected Derby contenders whose success is based on winning from the front.

Sorry to lose Texas Red but this years Derby is looming (to me) as one in which much of the favoritism will be misplaced. In this next round of preps I will be looking for the strong closers even those which might run 2nd or third as my derby win choices.

Am I selling Baffert's training short? He hasn't won the Roses in 13 years. I watch a fair amount of Hong Kong and Japanese racing and I see in those large fields winning from the front is much more difficult than in the U.S. with 6-8 competitors. At any distance!

I must labor to remember The Spiral did produce [b]Animal Kingdom[/b] and the Sunland Derby [b]Mine That Bird[/b]. Yet those races are this weeks Derby Prep focus and maybe the Bourbonette Oaks has opportunities?

Just such a quiet week and so difficult to contain my fanaticism. Thank goodness for hoops!