Rock Hard Ten

[Stonepony]

He is running in a $100,000 stakes race Saturday at Churchill. Do you think if he wins he will comeback to run in a week at the Derby?

[Buddha]

if i remember correctly he wasnt planning on running back in the derby. who knows though. if he wins and comes out of it good, and it isnt too taxing a race on him, they may think about it.

[Observer]

Even if he wins the Derby Trial .. I'm not sure that would give him enough earnings anyway .. but what a wild array of paths into the Derby that would create .. if he did make it, he'd be turning around on one week's rest .. while others would be coming off 7-week layoffs .. interesting.

[JustRalph]

I smell a bounce!

[cj]

If he wins, he would be in the Top 20 with recent defections, see the thread below from Irishladstable.

[Tuffmug]

If he comes in second he earns 20K AND he will vault above Pro Prado and Eddington into 22nd. If he comes in third he earns 10K and vaults ahead of Eddington.

I think he will be hand ridden to come in second. Should be able to beat all but Bwana Charlie that way. Will only need one defection after Value Plus to get in to the Derby.

[cj]

Scratched, starting to look like him and Eddington will make the field after all.

[kingfin66]

These are two horses that I hope DON'T get into the Derby. Its not because I'm against them. It's just that, to me, if they are in the race the handicapping gets even more difficult.

RHT is a nice looking colt with good numbers. He could very well take a big step forward in the Derby. On the other hand. He didn't win (or even run) a race as a 2yo. History has shown that these horses haven't won the Derby. Could he be the one?

Pro Prado has never won a route, yet he looks to be bred for the classic distance and ran a very respectable third in the Arkansas Derby. He looks to be moving forward nicely. Unfortunately, he looks to be very similar, but just a cut below, his 1/2 brother Borrego.

Certain horses are much easier for me to toss from any type of consideration (Birdstone, Minister Eric, Action This Day, Limehouse, Read the Footnotes, Wimbledon, Value Plus, St Averil, Song of the Sword, and maybe even Friends Lake and Pollards Vision), but these two I have to leave in.

Maybe it's not really a problem so much as having to go deeper to include them.