2023 Kentucky Derby Name Analysis
May 3, 2023 20:31:53 GMT -5
Post by grommet on May 3, 2023 20:31:53 GMT -5
Here is a breakdown of this year’s Derby horse names. I started doing this back in the late 80’s when I read a newspaper article about Derby names – the gist of it being that Derby winners tend to have strong, bold names while horses with weak names were rarely allowed to wear the garland of roses. Soon after that article, I started analyzing the Derby names every year to try and narrow down the potential winners, primarily based on their name, down to 4 horses (upped the number to 5 when the Derby field expanded to 20 horses). Essentially this eliminates 75% of the horses from the top spot. I only use this breakdown for the Derby and only use it for the win slot. Just like any other angle I don’t follow it 100% when it comes to bets, but it can help sway some final decisions or help narrow down the field. Since 1989 there have been 21 hits and 13 misses.
Positives:
- Names that have a bold sound or a ring to them (Strike the Gold, Charismatic)
- Names that seem to flow smoothly off the tongue (Sunday Silence, Street Sense)
- Names that sound a little old-fashioned (Go for Gin, War Emblem)
Negatives:
- Names with words crunched together (Sweetnorthernsaint, Atswhatimtalknbout)
- Names with abbreviations or apostrophes (Serena’s Song, Unbridled’s Song)
- Names that are devoid of meaning or seem like two random words thrown together (Excellent Meeting, General Challenge)
- Names that sound weak in general (Mister Frisky, Afternoon Deelites)
The ultimate litmus test to me is reading through past Derby winners and then deciding if a name would be a good fit. Would it belong on a name plate in the Churchill paddock area? With 20 horses, I start by narrowing the list down to 10 and then sprinkling in a little racing form logic to pare the list down to the final 5. The name analysis seemed more consistent in the 80’s and 90’s, so perhaps it has lost some steam - but it’s still fun to break down the names every year. Some of the interpretation is subjective so don’t let it sway you off of your horse if it doesn’t make the final five. Just beware if you think the name sounds weak.
Past Hits:
Sunday Silence
Unbridled
Strike the Gold
Sea Hero
Go for Gin
Thunder Gulch
Grindstone
Silver Charm
Real Quiet
Charismatic
Monarchos
War Emblem
Barbaro
Street Sense
Animal Kingdom
Orb
California Chrome
Nyquist
Justify
Country House
Authentic
Past Misses:
Lil E. Tee (I think the Derby gods decided that Pat Day deserved at least one Derby victory, despite the awful horse name)
Fusaichi Pegasus (The horse needed every ounce of his supreme talent to NO POLITICS such a long, clunky name)
Funny Cide (I loved this horse on paper, but he was the last horse cut as I thought the name was a little too cute for the Derby gods)
Smarty Jones (In hindsight, this was a dumb omission of mine, considering its old-school charm)
Giacomo (Made the first cut but was eliminated from the finalists based on racing form)
Big Brown (Didn’t like the fact that the horse was named after a large corporation, UPS)
Mine That Bird (The name sounded silly and on paper the horse’s chances looked hopeless)
Super Saver (Couldn’t include a horse that sounded like a K-Mart blue light special)
I’ll Have Another (Was somewhat close to making the final cut, but in the end the name came across as too long)
American Pharoah (Didn’t like the misspelling of ‘pharaoh’ - but in hindsight, a relatively worthy, bold-sounding name)
Always Dreaming (Had mixed feelings on this name and ultimately it did not make the final cut)
Mandaloun* (He was the last horse cut - I thought about promoting him into the top 5 when King Fury scratched, but decided to stand pat and roll with the remaining 4 horses)
Rich Strike* (I prepared my analysis before he drew into the field. This classic-sounding name would have certainly been under strong consideration, but I’ll never know whether or not he would have made the final 5)
2023 Name Analysis:
Angel of Empire: The name derives from the sire, Classic Empire, and the dam, Armony’s Angel. The name has a nice ring to it and feels like a pretty good fit when reading through past Derby winners. An easy inclusion for the second round of analysis.
Confidence Game: Owner Kirk Godby kept this original name from the breeder Summerwind Farm, who gave him the name because he was a confident colt from the start. Mixed feelings for me on this name at first glance but there are no immediate strikes against it. On paper the horse looks capable, so will put him through to round 2.
Continuar: A one-word name that translates to “dragon” in Spanish. Despite the positive marks for being one word and simple in meaning, the name comes off as clunky to me. I just can’t hear Larry Collmus crying out “Continuar!” when the Derby field comes down the stretch. Tossing.
Derma Sotogake: The horse’s owner Hiroyuki Asanuma is a dermatologist - so he named the horse after his occupation, which is an immediate strike against (Cyberknife, anyone?). “Sotogake” is a sumo wrestling maneuver in which the attacker hooks his opponent’s lead leg and forces him backwards. Put those two together and you have visions of a heavy, sweaty, scantily-clad skin doctor wrestling. This has all the negative qualities that you don’t want in a Derby name – self-absorbed, long & clunky, and containing random unrelated words. I realize that Fusaichi Pegasus overcame these obstacles, but I just can’t endorse a name that sounds like the genus of a scaly fish. An easy toss.
Disarm: A simple one-word name with some old-school battle charm, akin to past Derby winners Assault and War Admiral. An easy inclusion in the second round of analysis.
Forte: The horse’s name is not a byproduct of the sire & dam. He was originally nicknamed “Gaudy” because of his white hooves, but the owners came up with Forte, which means “strength” in Italian. Kudos to the owners for coming up with a name that’s more Derby-caliber than Gaudy. Another simple one-word name that has a pretty nice ring to it - including him in the second round.
Hit Show: The name partially derives from the dam, Actress. Nothing stands out as bad with this name, but I’m having a hard time envisioning it lining the Churchill paddock. Nothing wrong with a good episode of Breaking Bad, I’m just not so sure the Derby gods watch TV. Eliminating.
Jace’s Road: The name partially derives from the sire, Quality Road, and Jace is the name of one of owner Dennis Albaugh’s nephew’s sons. The apostrophe is an immediate strike against – only I’ll Have Another, Sunny’s Halo, and Lieut. Gibson have been able to overcome punctuation marks. The name comes across as hollow and it feels like several horses with ‘Road’ in the name have failed to win the Kentucky Derby - Barber Road, Roadster and Bellamy Road come to mind. Tossing.
Kingsbarns: This horse is named after a famous golf course in Scotland. It’s a simple one-word name, but it just sounds too odd and clunky to me for a Derby winner. The horse looks dangerous on paper, but the name doesn’t feel like a good fit. Eliminating.
Lord Miles: The name partially derives from the dam, Lady Esme, and Miles is the name of owner Peter Vesgo’s wife’s aunt’s husband. Similar to Jace’s Road – why are these owners naming horses after such distant friends and relatives? It’s just too damn confusing. Setting all of that aside, the name itself doesn’t sound too bad and has some old-school charm. Putting through to the second round.
Mage: The name derives from the sire, Good Magic – with a mage being a practitioner of magic derived from supernatural or occult forces. A simple one-word name that doesn’t have any obvious negatives. Putting into the second round.
Practical Move: The name derives from the sire, Practical Joke. I would fully endorse a name like Bold Move or Fearless Move – but the word “practical” falls flat, in my opinion. I want my Derby horse to weave through walls of horses without blinking – I don’t need my Derby horse deciding to be sensible and buying his carrots in bulk to save money. Tossing.
Raise Cain: The name doesn’t derive from the bloodlines, it was simply named after the story of Cain & Abel. Biblical names don’t necessarily feel like a bad thing, but the story of a man murdering his own brother just doesn’t leave a good taste. On paper the horse looks overmatched. Tossing.
Reincarnate: Owner Gavin Murphy came up with the name because of the horse’s resemblance to 1994 horse of the year Holy Bull, and Holy Bull is Reincarnate’s great grandsire. A simple one-word name and a cool tip of the cap to a well-liked horse. An easy inclusion in the second round.
Rocket Can: Rocket is the moniker used by owner Frank Fletcher, which is in honor of the German shepherds he owns, all of which are named Rocket. This is extremely weird. All of your dogs have the same name - and that name is your own nickname, to boot? How do you tell one of your dogs “no” without confusing the hell out of the other dogs? And why isn’t the horse’s name just “Rocket”? What does the word ‘can’ suggest? It feels incomplete to me. Rocket can………… do what? Finish out of the money is my guess. Eliminating.
Skinner: The horse is named after Don Skinner, a longtime friend of owners Lee and Susan Searing. Now this is much better than Jace’s Road & Lord Miles – the horse is simply named after a friend, not the 3-4 degrees of separation that we’ve seen with some previous horses. It feels like a fair enough fit with past Derby winners to pass through to the second round.
Sun Thunder: Owner Ramon Tallaj said that the horse reminds him of light, like the sun, which gives life to many people. I’m not seeing Thunder Gulch in the bloodlines, so the word ‘Thunder’ appears to have been chosen randomly. The name falls flat with the non-correlated words, in my opinion. The horse’s form also makes him look like a 3rd or 4th place finish is his ceiling. Tossing.
Tapit Trice: The name derives from the sire, Tapit, and the dam, Danzatrice. There are no immediate strikes against the name, but I’m on the fence with it as it feels a bit scattered with its meaning. “Tapit Thrice” might have been a little better; tap the horse three times with the crop and he surges towards the leaders. The word ‘trice’ is a verb that means to secure something with a small rope. The horse’s talent and the somewhat old-school sound are enough to warrant consideration in the second round.
Two Phil’s: The horse was named after the fathers of the owner Phillip Sagan Jr. and retired jockey Jerry La Sala – Phillip Sagan Sr. and Phil La Sala, respectively. The apostrophe is an immediate strike against, as mentioned in the Jace’s Road analysis. It also feels like the apostrophe is technically incorrect – shouldn’t the name just be “Two Phils”? Owners who name horses after themselves or family members seems to be a recipe for failure in the Derby – perhaps it comes across as a little arrogant to the Derby gods. On paper the horse looks super sharp – but I just can’t see this name holding a spot in the Churchill paddock area. Tossing.
Verifying: The name derives from the sire, Justifying. Despite being one word, the name just doesn’t feel exciting and invokes thoughts of 2-factor authentication codes that confirm your identity. Entering a 6-digit code from a text message doesn’t exactly get the blood pumping. Despite the horse looking very dangerous on paper, I have to eliminate.
First 9 Qualifiers:
Angel of Empire
Confidence Game
Disarm
Forte
Lord Miles
Mage
Reincarnate
Skinner
Tapit Trice
Further Analysis:
Angel of Empire: On paper the horse appears to be heading towards a peak effort and has the turn of foot that is often an asset in the Derby. The name may be somewhat devoid of meaning, but I feel like the nod to the parents and classic sound overcome that. Making him the first finalist.
Confidence Game: On paper the horse looks capable despite the long layoff. James Graham often gets the most out of his longshots, but in the end the name’s con artist connotations make me wonder if we’re getting hustled to believe he’ll be ready for a peak effort. Eliminating from the Final 5.
Disarm: On paper the horse looks a little too slow to win the Derby, he may be better suited for the long grind of the Belmont Stakes. However - the name is just too good of a fit with several past Derby winners to ignore, and war-related names are easily the dominant theme when looking through the long list. Including him in the Final 5.
Forte: Hard to argue against the horse’s form and determination. My hunch is that he doesn’t win the Derby, but there is a bold sound to his name and I could certainly hear Larry Collmus calling his name out with enthusiasm in deep stretch. Have to include this guy in the Final 5.
Lord Miles: On paper the horse looks a cut below, but with Curlin being the sire it makes me wonder if he will keep improving as the distance increases. I typically avoid horses coming out of Aqueduct prep races - but this name just has a nice old-school sound to it, similar to past Derby champs Count Fleet, Sir Barton and Lord Murphy. Including him in the Final 5.
Mage: On paper the horse looks dangerous with his consistent improvement. The name isn’t bad at all, but I don’t feel like it fits as well as some of the others - it almost feels too short, although that shortness didn’t hurt Orb, Swale, and Zev. It wouldn’t surprise me to see this guy win, but for the name analysis I have to eliminate from the Final 5.
Reincarnate: I want to keep this guy in the mix as the name just seems to fit well with past Derby winners and I love the subtle salute to Holy Bull; however on paper the horse seems overmatched, particularly since he no longer has the Baffert ‘magic’ in his corner. Can’t include them all, so grudgingly dropping this guy from the Final 5.
Skinner: Another horse that seems to be rounding into peak form and could appreciate the longer distance with Curlin in the bloodlines. It came down to this guy and Tapit Trice for the final spot, in the end I feel like the simple one-word name is a better fit despite it being a riskier selection. Including in the Final 5.
Tapit Trice: The horse looks as game as they come on paper and looks the part for a Derby winner. However - I can’t get past the name not feeling quite up to snuff for a Derby winner, despite the nice nod to the sire and dam. Grudgingly making him the final elimination from the Final 5.
Final List of name-based winners:
Angel of Empire
Disarm
Forte
Lord Miles
Skinner
Also Eligible Chaos Edit - May 4th:
Three new horses drew in - and with Lord Miles & Skinner scratched, I feel compelled to replace them, particularly because all three new names merit serious consideration. I do like the name Cyclone Mischief, but because the other two names feel like a better Derby fit - and because on paper Cyclone appears to have distance limitations - I will leave Cyclone off the Final 5. That leaves Mandarin Hero and King Russell as the new horses. They both have a classic Derby ring to them akin to Sea Hero, Kauai King and Burgoo King. I give them a slight nod over the last names cut, Mage, Reincarnate and Tapit Trice.
The revised Final 5:
Angel of Empire
Disarm
King Russell
Mandarin Hero
Reincarnate
Positives:
- Names that have a bold sound or a ring to them (Strike the Gold, Charismatic)
- Names that seem to flow smoothly off the tongue (Sunday Silence, Street Sense)
- Names that sound a little old-fashioned (Go for Gin, War Emblem)
Negatives:
- Names with words crunched together (Sweetnorthernsaint, Atswhatimtalknbout)
- Names with abbreviations or apostrophes (Serena’s Song, Unbridled’s Song)
- Names that are devoid of meaning or seem like two random words thrown together (Excellent Meeting, General Challenge)
- Names that sound weak in general (Mister Frisky, Afternoon Deelites)
The ultimate litmus test to me is reading through past Derby winners and then deciding if a name would be a good fit. Would it belong on a name plate in the Churchill paddock area? With 20 horses, I start by narrowing the list down to 10 and then sprinkling in a little racing form logic to pare the list down to the final 5. The name analysis seemed more consistent in the 80’s and 90’s, so perhaps it has lost some steam - but it’s still fun to break down the names every year. Some of the interpretation is subjective so don’t let it sway you off of your horse if it doesn’t make the final five. Just beware if you think the name sounds weak.
Past Hits:
Sunday Silence
Unbridled
Strike the Gold
Sea Hero
Go for Gin
Thunder Gulch
Grindstone
Silver Charm
Real Quiet
Charismatic
Monarchos
War Emblem
Barbaro
Street Sense
Animal Kingdom
Orb
California Chrome
Nyquist
Justify
Country House
Authentic
Past Misses:
Lil E. Tee (I think the Derby gods decided that Pat Day deserved at least one Derby victory, despite the awful horse name)
Fusaichi Pegasus (The horse needed every ounce of his supreme talent to NO POLITICS such a long, clunky name)
Funny Cide (I loved this horse on paper, but he was the last horse cut as I thought the name was a little too cute for the Derby gods)
Smarty Jones (In hindsight, this was a dumb omission of mine, considering its old-school charm)
Giacomo (Made the first cut but was eliminated from the finalists based on racing form)
Big Brown (Didn’t like the fact that the horse was named after a large corporation, UPS)
Mine That Bird (The name sounded silly and on paper the horse’s chances looked hopeless)
Super Saver (Couldn’t include a horse that sounded like a K-Mart blue light special)
I’ll Have Another (Was somewhat close to making the final cut, but in the end the name came across as too long)
American Pharoah (Didn’t like the misspelling of ‘pharaoh’ - but in hindsight, a relatively worthy, bold-sounding name)
Always Dreaming (Had mixed feelings on this name and ultimately it did not make the final cut)
Mandaloun* (He was the last horse cut - I thought about promoting him into the top 5 when King Fury scratched, but decided to stand pat and roll with the remaining 4 horses)
Rich Strike* (I prepared my analysis before he drew into the field. This classic-sounding name would have certainly been under strong consideration, but I’ll never know whether or not he would have made the final 5)
2023 Name Analysis:
Angel of Empire: The name derives from the sire, Classic Empire, and the dam, Armony’s Angel. The name has a nice ring to it and feels like a pretty good fit when reading through past Derby winners. An easy inclusion for the second round of analysis.
Confidence Game: Owner Kirk Godby kept this original name from the breeder Summerwind Farm, who gave him the name because he was a confident colt from the start. Mixed feelings for me on this name at first glance but there are no immediate strikes against it. On paper the horse looks capable, so will put him through to round 2.
Continuar: A one-word name that translates to “dragon” in Spanish. Despite the positive marks for being one word and simple in meaning, the name comes off as clunky to me. I just can’t hear Larry Collmus crying out “Continuar!” when the Derby field comes down the stretch. Tossing.
Derma Sotogake: The horse’s owner Hiroyuki Asanuma is a dermatologist - so he named the horse after his occupation, which is an immediate strike against (Cyberknife, anyone?). “Sotogake” is a sumo wrestling maneuver in which the attacker hooks his opponent’s lead leg and forces him backwards. Put those two together and you have visions of a heavy, sweaty, scantily-clad skin doctor wrestling. This has all the negative qualities that you don’t want in a Derby name – self-absorbed, long & clunky, and containing random unrelated words. I realize that Fusaichi Pegasus overcame these obstacles, but I just can’t endorse a name that sounds like the genus of a scaly fish. An easy toss.
Disarm: A simple one-word name with some old-school battle charm, akin to past Derby winners Assault and War Admiral. An easy inclusion in the second round of analysis.
Forte: The horse’s name is not a byproduct of the sire & dam. He was originally nicknamed “Gaudy” because of his white hooves, but the owners came up with Forte, which means “strength” in Italian. Kudos to the owners for coming up with a name that’s more Derby-caliber than Gaudy. Another simple one-word name that has a pretty nice ring to it - including him in the second round.
Hit Show: The name partially derives from the dam, Actress. Nothing stands out as bad with this name, but I’m having a hard time envisioning it lining the Churchill paddock. Nothing wrong with a good episode of Breaking Bad, I’m just not so sure the Derby gods watch TV. Eliminating.
Jace’s Road: The name partially derives from the sire, Quality Road, and Jace is the name of one of owner Dennis Albaugh’s nephew’s sons. The apostrophe is an immediate strike against – only I’ll Have Another, Sunny’s Halo, and Lieut. Gibson have been able to overcome punctuation marks. The name comes across as hollow and it feels like several horses with ‘Road’ in the name have failed to win the Kentucky Derby - Barber Road, Roadster and Bellamy Road come to mind. Tossing.
Kingsbarns: This horse is named after a famous golf course in Scotland. It’s a simple one-word name, but it just sounds too odd and clunky to me for a Derby winner. The horse looks dangerous on paper, but the name doesn’t feel like a good fit. Eliminating.
Lord Miles: The name partially derives from the dam, Lady Esme, and Miles is the name of owner Peter Vesgo’s wife’s aunt’s husband. Similar to Jace’s Road – why are these owners naming horses after such distant friends and relatives? It’s just too damn confusing. Setting all of that aside, the name itself doesn’t sound too bad and has some old-school charm. Putting through to the second round.
Mage: The name derives from the sire, Good Magic – with a mage being a practitioner of magic derived from supernatural or occult forces. A simple one-word name that doesn’t have any obvious negatives. Putting into the second round.
Practical Move: The name derives from the sire, Practical Joke. I would fully endorse a name like Bold Move or Fearless Move – but the word “practical” falls flat, in my opinion. I want my Derby horse to weave through walls of horses without blinking – I don’t need my Derby horse deciding to be sensible and buying his carrots in bulk to save money. Tossing.
Raise Cain: The name doesn’t derive from the bloodlines, it was simply named after the story of Cain & Abel. Biblical names don’t necessarily feel like a bad thing, but the story of a man murdering his own brother just doesn’t leave a good taste. On paper the horse looks overmatched. Tossing.
Reincarnate: Owner Gavin Murphy came up with the name because of the horse’s resemblance to 1994 horse of the year Holy Bull, and Holy Bull is Reincarnate’s great grandsire. A simple one-word name and a cool tip of the cap to a well-liked horse. An easy inclusion in the second round.
Rocket Can: Rocket is the moniker used by owner Frank Fletcher, which is in honor of the German shepherds he owns, all of which are named Rocket. This is extremely weird. All of your dogs have the same name - and that name is your own nickname, to boot? How do you tell one of your dogs “no” without confusing the hell out of the other dogs? And why isn’t the horse’s name just “Rocket”? What does the word ‘can’ suggest? It feels incomplete to me. Rocket can………… do what? Finish out of the money is my guess. Eliminating.
Skinner: The horse is named after Don Skinner, a longtime friend of owners Lee and Susan Searing. Now this is much better than Jace’s Road & Lord Miles – the horse is simply named after a friend, not the 3-4 degrees of separation that we’ve seen with some previous horses. It feels like a fair enough fit with past Derby winners to pass through to the second round.
Sun Thunder: Owner Ramon Tallaj said that the horse reminds him of light, like the sun, which gives life to many people. I’m not seeing Thunder Gulch in the bloodlines, so the word ‘Thunder’ appears to have been chosen randomly. The name falls flat with the non-correlated words, in my opinion. The horse’s form also makes him look like a 3rd or 4th place finish is his ceiling. Tossing.
Tapit Trice: The name derives from the sire, Tapit, and the dam, Danzatrice. There are no immediate strikes against the name, but I’m on the fence with it as it feels a bit scattered with its meaning. “Tapit Thrice” might have been a little better; tap the horse three times with the crop and he surges towards the leaders. The word ‘trice’ is a verb that means to secure something with a small rope. The horse’s talent and the somewhat old-school sound are enough to warrant consideration in the second round.
Two Phil’s: The horse was named after the fathers of the owner Phillip Sagan Jr. and retired jockey Jerry La Sala – Phillip Sagan Sr. and Phil La Sala, respectively. The apostrophe is an immediate strike against, as mentioned in the Jace’s Road analysis. It also feels like the apostrophe is technically incorrect – shouldn’t the name just be “Two Phils”? Owners who name horses after themselves or family members seems to be a recipe for failure in the Derby – perhaps it comes across as a little arrogant to the Derby gods. On paper the horse looks super sharp – but I just can’t see this name holding a spot in the Churchill paddock area. Tossing.
Verifying: The name derives from the sire, Justifying. Despite being one word, the name just doesn’t feel exciting and invokes thoughts of 2-factor authentication codes that confirm your identity. Entering a 6-digit code from a text message doesn’t exactly get the blood pumping. Despite the horse looking very dangerous on paper, I have to eliminate.
First 9 Qualifiers:
Angel of Empire
Confidence Game
Disarm
Forte
Lord Miles
Mage
Reincarnate
Skinner
Tapit Trice
Further Analysis:
Angel of Empire: On paper the horse appears to be heading towards a peak effort and has the turn of foot that is often an asset in the Derby. The name may be somewhat devoid of meaning, but I feel like the nod to the parents and classic sound overcome that. Making him the first finalist.
Confidence Game: On paper the horse looks capable despite the long layoff. James Graham often gets the most out of his longshots, but in the end the name’s con artist connotations make me wonder if we’re getting hustled to believe he’ll be ready for a peak effort. Eliminating from the Final 5.
Disarm: On paper the horse looks a little too slow to win the Derby, he may be better suited for the long grind of the Belmont Stakes. However - the name is just too good of a fit with several past Derby winners to ignore, and war-related names are easily the dominant theme when looking through the long list. Including him in the Final 5.
Forte: Hard to argue against the horse’s form and determination. My hunch is that he doesn’t win the Derby, but there is a bold sound to his name and I could certainly hear Larry Collmus calling his name out with enthusiasm in deep stretch. Have to include this guy in the Final 5.
Lord Miles: On paper the horse looks a cut below, but with Curlin being the sire it makes me wonder if he will keep improving as the distance increases. I typically avoid horses coming out of Aqueduct prep races - but this name just has a nice old-school sound to it, similar to past Derby champs Count Fleet, Sir Barton and Lord Murphy. Including him in the Final 5.
Mage: On paper the horse looks dangerous with his consistent improvement. The name isn’t bad at all, but I don’t feel like it fits as well as some of the others - it almost feels too short, although that shortness didn’t hurt Orb, Swale, and Zev. It wouldn’t surprise me to see this guy win, but for the name analysis I have to eliminate from the Final 5.
Reincarnate: I want to keep this guy in the mix as the name just seems to fit well with past Derby winners and I love the subtle salute to Holy Bull; however on paper the horse seems overmatched, particularly since he no longer has the Baffert ‘magic’ in his corner. Can’t include them all, so grudgingly dropping this guy from the Final 5.
Skinner: Another horse that seems to be rounding into peak form and could appreciate the longer distance with Curlin in the bloodlines. It came down to this guy and Tapit Trice for the final spot, in the end I feel like the simple one-word name is a better fit despite it being a riskier selection. Including in the Final 5.
Tapit Trice: The horse looks as game as they come on paper and looks the part for a Derby winner. However - I can’t get past the name not feeling quite up to snuff for a Derby winner, despite the nice nod to the sire and dam. Grudgingly making him the final elimination from the Final 5.
Final List of name-based winners:
Angel of Empire
Disarm
Forte
Lord Miles
Skinner
Also Eligible Chaos Edit - May 4th:
Three new horses drew in - and with Lord Miles & Skinner scratched, I feel compelled to replace them, particularly because all three new names merit serious consideration. I do like the name Cyclone Mischief, but because the other two names feel like a better Derby fit - and because on paper Cyclone appears to have distance limitations - I will leave Cyclone off the Final 5. That leaves Mandarin Hero and King Russell as the new horses. They both have a classic Derby ring to them akin to Sea Hero, Kauai King and Burgoo King. I give them a slight nod over the last names cut, Mage, Reincarnate and Tapit Trice.
The revised Final 5:
Angel of Empire
Disarm
King Russell
Mandarin Hero
Reincarnate
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