Baffert Duo Top Derby Contenders List

Ron Correll
Senior columnist
Tracksideview

Bob Baffert’s Kentucky Derby juggernaut continues to roll on. The California-based trainer has no less than five colts with Derby points and he also unveiled a maiden winner March 13 at Santa Anita Park that may be just as good as his top two 3-year-olds.

Those five colts are Life is Good (60 points), Concert Tour (50), Medina Spirit (34), Hozier (20) and Spielberg (17). The maiden winner was Triple Tap, a son of Tapit. In recent years it has taken around 30 points to get into the Derby field and there are several points’ races still to come.

I’m going to leave Life is Good at the top of my list, although I can’t separate him from Concert Tour, the winner of the Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park on March 13. Concert Tour looked a little more professional coming down the lane in the Rebel than Life is Good did in the San Felipe. These two colts won’t see each (outside the barn) until the Derby.

Essential Quality drops to third and we won’t see him again until the Arkansas Derby where he could face Concert Tour.

Greatest Honour is being pointed to the Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park in South Florida.

Mandaloun won the Risen Star on Feb. 13 at Fair Grounds in New Orleans and is slated for the Louisiana Derby.

Medina Spirit ran second to Life is Good in the San Felipe but he was way back and may head to the Arkansas Derby for his next start.

Proxy and Midnight Bourbon ran second and third in the Risen Star, but both of them beat Mandaloun in the Lecomte earlier at Fair Grounds. All three are good-looking colts.

Rombauer won the El Camino Real Derby on Feb. 13 at Golden Gate in Northern California. I’m not usually a fan of the winner of this race, but sources say this guy can really run on dirt. We’ll see.

Triple Tap needs points and I’m sure Baffert will figure it out. There always is the Wood Memorial or Blue Grass for one of his colts