Hungry anybody?

So, it's the beginning of the year, time to start paying attention to the Derby prep races, start looking through stats and deciding which 3-year-old thoroughbred has the best chance of taking those roses. Time to watch those wonderful prep races, the Wood Memorial, the Santa Anita Derby, the Gotham Stakes, the Arkansas Derby, the San Felipe, the Rebel Stakes... AAAHH!! So exciting!!

I don't really pay any attention to 2-year-old races, because, most of these colts don't really come into their own until like March and April when the prep races start heating up. A lot of the colts who show early speed as a 2-year-old, winning races such as the Juvenile at the Breeders Cup, are often caught by the REAL winners in the spring, the ones who mature a little later, and are able to show the stamina that is needed for the triple crown races, something 2-year-olds just don't posses.

That said.... I was looking over somebody's list for the top 20 3-year-olds who currently have their noses pointed at Churchill Downs. And one caught my eye and me do a double take! http://www.drf.com/news/kentucky-derby-137-mike-watchmakers-early-top-20-contenders

His name is "Gourmet Dinner" ... really?? WHO in their right mind would name a horse Gourmet Dinner?? That's like, just aaassking for him to be made into alpo! Gah, poor horse!! I bet he is the brunt of endless jokes around the barn. His owner's musta been on crack when they picked that name... again, poor horse!

Ok, so I just looked up his pedigree... I've forgive his owners, a little. http://www.pedigreequery.com/gourmet+dinner2 He is out of a mare named "Potluck Dinner" who is out of a mare named "Romantic Dinner" ... seems like the names just got progressivley worse in this family LOL! Nobody in his pedigree really stands out, so we'll see. So far he's won one G3 stakes as a two year old, and came in third in the Holy Bull just this past weekend.

Currently, the leader in Derby pointed horses is a colt named Uncle Mo, and he is because of his win in the Breeder's Cup Juvenile. Go figure. Buuuut he is trained by Todd Pletcher. He hasn't raced yet as a 3-year-old, but that's not surprising as we are only one month into the new year. Only time will tell. I can guarantee you one thing, we'll see that top 20 list change a LOT as horses win, and lose, races.

I can't wait!