Racing Dispatch Derby Poll Week 3

Here's the latest poll from racingdispatch.com...

Racing Dispatch Derby Poll 3

So who is this one jackass that keeps ranking Great Hunter first every week?

That would be yours truly. And believe me, it's no disrespect to Nobiz Like Shobiz, the clear leading votegetter right now. But I'm a big fan of Great Hunter's pedigree, and he's got the right (if not my favorite) connections. He's not on the top of people's minds yet without a race in 2007, but he's working steadily and I expect him to make a big impression next month. And let's not forget that he made his first two starts, including his maiden-breaker, at Lone Star Park in the great state of Texas (though I promise you that did not influence my voting one bit; I really believe in him).

Here's a wild, random note on Great Hunter's bloodlines. If you read my article about Wrenice, you'll hear owner/breeder Guy Hamblen talk about how he liked the idea of Wrenice having Buckpasser on both sides of her (at first glance) unimpressive pedigree. In fact, Buckpasser's female descendents on both sides were bred to Seattle Slew. Well, this idea of cross-duplicating is, um, duplicated in Great Hunter, as well. He has Buckpasser on both sides, and the immediate descendent was a female, but in Great Hunter's case those fillys were both bred to Northern Dancer, the leading sire, like, ever.

Is this significant? Who the heck knows? But I at least found it fascinating given Hamblen's seemingly random success with Wrenice. Watch out for Great Hunter with those heavy doses of Buckpasser and Northern Dancer blood.

In any case, as promised, here are my votes, for you to praise or ridicule as you see fit. In order (1 to 20): Great Hunter, Nobiz Like Shobiz, Street Sense, Ravel, Circular Quay, Birdbirdistheword, Zanjero, Scat Daddy, Hard Spun, Any Given Saturday, Minefield, Day Pass, Dilemma, Liquidity, Teuflesberg, Notional, Pegasus Wind, Grasshopper, Soaring By, Came to Pass.