1st..I Want Revenge
2nd..Dunkirk
3rd..Pioneer of the Nile
Friesan Fire has certainly been on fire, 3 wins in a row, but he's also been on a 7 week vacation. Should finish in the top 4, and could be anywhere in there, including winning it.
Hold Me Back doesn't know what to do on dirt. Maybe if they painted it green. Was the favorite at Keenland and got owned by a 14-1 horse. However, Kent Desormeaux will be riding him. If anyone can get anything out of this horse on dirt, he can. He rode Big Brown last year and did OK. He got Real Quiet to win it all, too, and no one thought that was possible.
Papa Clem will need to pop out of the gate first and finish strong, something he hasn't done much, plus, 1 1/4 is a long haul for him. I think he'll peter out after a mile.
I Want Revenge should go off as the overwhelming favorite, at least among those at the betting window. Easily the most powerful and fastest horse in the race. But they gotta run it first. Ya never know. But if what he did at Woods Memorial last month is any indication, they should just hang the roses on him now.
Dunkirk is a strong finisher and a deep closer, one of the top 3 in the race, for sure, some are picking him to win. I would, but he hasn't yet raced since turning 2, and no un-raced 2 year old has won the Derby in more than 100 years. He's a very special horse with a Hall of Fame jockey on board. Anything can happen.
Pioneer of the Nile has won four in a row, and like
Friesan Fire is one of the prettiest runners you'll ever see. But, he's never won on dirt, never even raced on dirt, and if he isn't leading near the end, that's OK with him, he'll cross the finish line eventually. If he's leading, tho, he won't let anyone pass him. Let's see if he doesn't mind getting dirty.
I think
I Want Revenge will win it going away, and
Dunkirk will take a solid second, while
Pioneer of the Nile and
Frisan Fire will battle for third. I read a lot and following fairly close, and my reasoning seems good enough, and yet I still suck at it. For all I know,
Atomic Rain will win by a mile.