Everyone knows who Dialed In is – he is at or near the top of everyone’s lists of top Kentucky Derby contenders. Trained by Nick Zito and owned by Robert LaPenta, the son of Mineshaft launched himself into the early Derby picture last November when he rallied from off the pace to win a 6-1/2 furlong maiden special weight. Nick Zito’s plan for the colt was simple. He would run Dialed In in a Gulfstream allowance race in January, then the Fountain of Youth in February. It was a marvelous plan, but unfortunately, it didn’t work.
Although Dialed In found a perfect nine-furlong allowance race on January 21st, Nick Zito scratched him because the track turned up sloppy. This forced him to change his plan. Dialed In would instead run in the one-mile Holy Bull Stakes (gr. III) nine days later.
It was not the perfect distance. Nick Zito would have preferred a two-turn race. But Dialed In won anyway, rallying from way off the pace to win the Holy Bull decisively.
Everything had turned out okay – maybe. Dialed In had won his second start and had secured enough graded earnings to all but guarantee him a spot in the Kentucky Derby. But where would he run next?
The Fountain of Youth Stakes—although ideal for Dialed In to make his two-turn debut—was approaching too soon. So Nick Zito was faced with the challenging task of finding a two-turn allowance race for his promising sophomore. This is easier said than done when you have one of the most promising three-year-olds in the country.
One after another, appropriate allowance races failed to fill. It appeared as though Nick Zito would have to ship Dialed In to Tampa Bay Downs for the Tampa Bay Derby, which he really didn’t want to do.
Then, at the last moment, Gulfstream carded another nine furlong allowance race. Although it was open to older horses, Nick Zito entered Dialed In. He also entered another one of his horses, Equestrio, likely to insure that the race filled. Fortunately, it did.
And so, we finally get to catch another glimpse of Dialed In’s immense talent. His stiffest challenge may come from William’s Kitten, who ran third in the 2010 Holy Bull Stakes and second in the 2009 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (gr. III).
Will Dialed In win and remain atop my Top Twenty? Or will he fall to defeat, allowing Uncle Mo to steal the top ranking away? We’ll find out in just a few hours!
Here are the complete entries:
| Post Position | Horse | Age | Weight | Morning Line Odds |
| 1 | Reprized Halo | 3 | 112 | 12-1 |
| 2 | William’s Kitten | 4 | 119 | 6-1 |
| 3 | Equestrio | 4 | 123 | 2-1 |
| 4 | Dialed In | 3 | 116 | 3-5 |
| 5 | Valerius | 4 | 119 | 10-1 |
-Keelerman
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