Derby Top Ten: Life is Good !

Ron Correll
Senior columnist
Tracksideview

We were thrown a couple of curve balls on March 6 in the Gotham and Tampa Bay Derby. Neither of the winners, Weyburn in the Gotham and Helium at Tampa are Triple Crown nominated. Both earned 50 points and likely would be in this year’s Kentucky Derby, but until their connections pay the late nominating fees I’m not adding them to my top 10 list.

We have a new leader and that is Life is Good after what he did to the rest of the field in the San Felipe on March 6 at Santa Anita Park in Southern California. The colt is still green but he overpowered the competition and the question is: What will he do when he really learns to run?

Essential Quality drops one spot but still shines after winning the delayed Southwest Stakes on Feb.27 at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark.

Greatest Honour is third with the Fountain of Youth win at Gulfstream Park in South Florida.

Mandaloun won the Risen Star on Feb. 13 at Fair Grounds in New Orleans.

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.

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.

Keepmeinmind ran second to Essential Quality in the Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland and third to him in the Juvenile. He may not stay here long.

Concert Tour is an “unknown” in the Bob Baffert barn and Baffert also has Life is Good and Medina Spirit. I want to see him in stakes company.

The list:

1. LIFE IS GOOD
2. ESSENTIAL QUALITY
3. GREATEST HONOUR
4. MANDALOUN
5. MIDNIGHT BOURBON
6. PROXY
7. ROMBAUER
8. MEDINA SPIRIT
9. KEEPMEINMIND
10. CONCERT TOUR