Racingdispatch.com shout-out

Travis Stone of The Racing Dispatch at RacingDispatch.com gives me some props without naming me by name in his most recent column about the website's weekly Derby poll...

Racing Dispatch From the Editor 3/5/07

I've been the one dude with Great Hunter on top on every ballot since the first poll in January, so I told Travis last week that if he rolled in his comeback, I wanted some credit. Nevermind that Saturday's victory didn't really prove much more than what a lot of people would have agreed, that he's a real contender. The field he beat was not much, so I only feel partially validated. We'll see what he has next time out before I get too big for my britches.

But I thought it was cool of Travis to call attention to the fact that I've been on him all along. Not sure if any other public hadicapper had him pegged as early on so I'll have to start looking around. With Nobiz Like Shobiz coming up short this weekend I'm sure there'll be a few more people on my bandwagon. Now if only I'd bet him in the first round of the Kentucky! Derby! Presented! by! Yum! Brands! Future Wager when he closed at 24-1.

By the way, it was a big week for the horses who started out at Lone Star Park last summer. Not only did Great Hunter stamp himself as a legit Derby contender, but the defending Grand Prairie Turf Challenge champion, Kip Deville, won the Grade I Kilroe Mile at Santa Anita. There's never a shortage of quality horses coming out of Texas (keep in mind the recent success of Dixie Meister, too); the problem is coming up with the purses to keep them running here, if even for part of the year.