2008 Derby Betting - Best Kentucky Derby Contenders

[Shame About Ray]

The 134th Kentucky Derby is around the corner and my list of Top 10 contenders for America’s Greatest Race has changed a bit. There are still ifs and maybes concerning what 3-year-olds will start, but the April preps reduced who will be racing on the third Saturday in May.

So here we go again, Dave Letterman style, from the bottom:

10. Cool Coal Man/Visionaire: Fountain of Youth victor

Cool Coal Man was among several 3-year-olds that disappointed in their debut on a synthetic surface, finishing seventh in the Blue Grass at Keeneland. That ended his two-race win streak accomplished on Gulfstream Park’s dirt track. Visionaire ran fourth after taking the Gotham by a nose at Aqueduct in the slop. The last Kentucky Derby champ to run fourth in the Blue Grass was Thunder Gulch in 1995 when the surface was dirt.

9. Smooth Air: Followed his third in the Tampa Bay Derby with a second behind Florida Derby champ Big Brown. The steadily improving son of Smooth Jazz has a chance to hit the board if he has a clean trip.

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