Dialed In Considered Co-Favourite in 2011 Kentucky Derby Futures
- By A.J. Ryder on January 31, 2011 22:50 GMT
Nick Zito has a live one on his hands with two-time winner Dialed In (Mineshaft) as the bay or brown colt zoomed back to score by a length and a half after giving the field a fifteen-length head start. The three year-old son of Mineshaft is out of a Storm Cat mare and his late-closing style certainly draws comparisons to the Big Z. The flashy performance in the 2011 Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream on Sunday has propelled the Zito-trained colt to the second favourite's position for the big dance at Churchill Downs.
Current odds being floated on Dialed In hover from 10/1 to 16/1. Current favourite Uncle Mo (Indian Charlie) trades in the 3/1 or 4/1 neighborhood but UK bookmaker Victor Chandler has him trading at a lengthy 10/1.
With nearly $250,000 in graded earnings, Dialed In may have already booked his ticket if he is able to at least show in another key Derby prep. Dialed In’s victory not only sees him putting a bit of heat on current favourite Uncle Mo but it also prompted two contenders to see their odds increase. The withdrawal of Boys At Tosconova (Officer) from the Holy Bull has resulted in the Richard Dutrow Jr-trained colt inflate to around 25/1.
To Honor And Serve (Bernardini), winner of the Remsen and Nashua at Aqueduct, finished ahead of 4th-placed Holy Bull disappointment Mucho Macho Man (Macho Uno) in his two stakes scores and Dialed In’s performance takes a bit of gloss of To Honor’s back to back Grade 2 wins. You’ll find To Honor And Serve trading anywhere from 16/1 to 25/1 on the UK futures markets.
Uncle Mo remains pointed at the Tampa Bay Derby on March 12 and, as more three year-olds rack up scores on the Derby trail, one would have to assume Uncle Mo’s connections might be feeling a bit of additional heat. After all, a win in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile doesn’t always mean the colt will be set to dominate the three year-old division.
Brethren (Distorted Humor) is another up-and-comer drawing plenty of attention as the Todd Pletcher colt is set for the first step up to stakes action after a classy allowance-level score at Churchill Downs with Garrett Gomez up. He is supposedly pointed at the Sam F. Davis where connections will look to prove him around two turns. The Derby is obviously on his radar and it would be an unprecedented achievement for Pletcher as Brethren is the half-brother to last year’s winner Super Saver (Maria’s Mon). Brethren ranks among the cadre of Derby hopefuls priced around 25/1.
Tapizar (Tapit) took the field to the woodpile in the Grade 3 Sham Stakes at Santa Anita when clocking a lightning 1:40.38 over a mile and a bit. He’s trading as a solid fourth-favourite across the board with a price between 16/1 with most bookmakers and 25/1 with Blue Square.
Cashcall Futurity winner Comma To The Top (Bwana Charlie), a gelded three year-old trained by Peter Miller, rounds out the current top five with a listing between 20/1 and 25/1. He’s been laid off since December 19 and he’s taken a number of wins in a row, while forging a solid partnership with Corey Nakatani.
