Never too early to pick Derby horses
They ran the Hollywood Futurity on Sunday at Hollywood Park, and when it was over a colt named Stormello was the leader of Southern California's candidates for next May's Kentucky Derby.
Where does Stormello rate among the American horses aiming for the Derby?
Here's my early, casual, none-too-dogmatic ranking (it's 20 weeks until The Greatest Two Minutes in Sports) based on the results of this season's classiest races for 2-year-olds.
1. Street Sense: He won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile by 10 lengths at Churchill Downs. Enough said.
2. Tiz Wonderful: Another big-race winner at Churchill, where the Derby will be run May 5.
3. Stormello: Based at Hollywood Park, he'd be jockey Kent Desormeaux's third Derby winner.
4. Nobiz Like Showbiz: Won the Remsen as easily as expected for Funny Cide's trainer.
5. Circular Quay: At least so far, he's dominant trainer Todd Pletcher's top Derby hope.
6. Any Given Saturday: ... Unless this is Pletcher's top hope for that elusive Triple Crown win.
7. Scat Daddy: ... Unless this is the one for Pletcher, who's like Phil Mickelson a few years ago.
8. Liquidity: He pushed Stormello all the way to the wire in Sunday's race at Hollywood.
9. Great Hunter: Should trainer Doug O'Neill feel better about Liquidity or the Breeders' Cup show horse?
10. Day Pass: The gray ran away with the Nashua for the barn of 2006 Belmont winner Jazil.