Case made for Pioneerof the Nile

There is much speculation over how well Pioneerof the Nile, one of the favorites for the 135th running of the Kentucky Derby, will fare when he races for the first time in his career on dirt in the Run for the Roses on May 2.

Well, Horse Racing TV analyst Jon White made a very compelling case for the Bob Baffert-trained colt when talking with Santa Anita publicity guru Ed Golden last weekend:

"In my opinion, based on Pioneerof the Nile's pedigree, there's a strong likelihood that he will do quite well on the dirt, just like I Want Revenge and Papa Clem," White said. "Also consider what a number of other horses running on Santa Anita's synthetic track have accomplished this year when they left California and raced on dirt. After winning the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile on Santa Anita's synthetic surface, Albertus Maximus won the Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park on the dirt. And Well Armed lost twice on Santa Anita's synthetic track this year, then won the Dubai World Cup by a record 14 lengths on the dirt."

Makes sense to me. White also told Golden he feels Pioneerof the Nile is a viable candidate to win the Triple Crown. He says he thinks the Belmont will be the easiest of the three for the son of Empire Maker, who won the final leg of the Triple Crown in 2003.