1. Strong Mandate (Tiznow - Clear Mandate, by Deputy Minister) Trained by D. Wayne Lukas
He's heading for Oaklawn Park after a strong two-year-old season that saw him win the Hopeful Stakes (gr. I) and place third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I). I like that Lukas is taking the same route with this colt as he did with Oxbow, who won this year's Preakness Stakes after prepping at Oaklawn.
2. Honor Code (A.P. Indy - Serena's Cat, by Storm Cat) Trained by Shug McGaughey
He's only made two starts, but they have been arguably the most impressive performances of any two-year-old thus far this year. After breaking his maiden first-time out at Saratoga -- closing an unprecedented 22 3/4 lengths in the final three-eighths of a mile! -- Honor Code stepped up into the Foxwoods Champagne Stakes (gr. I), where he just failed to catch front-running Havana while losing by a neck. He's scheduled to run in the Remsen Stakes (gr. II) at Aqueduct this Saturday, where he could jump to the top of everyone's Derby lists with an impressive performance.
3. Shared Belief (Candy Ride - Common Hope, by Storm Cat) Trained by Jerry Hollendorfer
I won't hesitate to say that Shared Belief's victory in the Hollywood Prevue Stakes (gr. III) was among the most impressive performances by a two-year-old that I have ever seen. After tracking quick fractions of :22.56 and :46.06, Shared Belief absolutely exploded in the final three-eighths of a mile, running his third quarter in :24.35 and his final furlong in a blazing :11.76 en route to a 7 3/4-length victory -- under a hand ride! Whether he can carry his speed for three more furlongs is a legitimate question, but we'll get a chance to see him around two turns in the CashCall Futurity (gr. I) in a few weeks.
4. Ride On Curlin (Curlin - Magical Ride, by Storm Cat) Trained by William Gowen
There's no denying that Ride On Curlin has talent, as his track record-breaking maiden victory and third-place finish in the Champagne Stakes (gr. I) suggest. However, he has also shown a bit on inconsistency, placing fourth in a slow renewal of the Iroquois Stakes (gr. III) and third in the Street Sense Stakes, beaten seven lengths. However, as a son of Curlin, he should only get better with time, and I think he has the potential to be something very, very special.
5. New Year's Day (Street Cry - Justwhistledixie, by Dixie Union) Trained by Bob Baffert
He did take advantage of a fast pace in winning the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I), but given that he hadn't run since the end of August, his performance was undeniably a strong one. It's hard to say where he might turn up next, but don't expect him to run before the end of the year -- he's getting a bit of a break before gearing up for the Triple Crown prep season.
6. Almost Famous (Unbridled's Song - Wild Gams, by Forest Wildcat) Trained by Patrick Byrne
He rebounded from a fourth-place finish in the Street Sense to win an allowance race at Churchilll by six lengths, leading from gate-to-wire in a highly impressive effort. That performance has earned him the status as likely favorite for the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (gr. II) this Saturday, where he will get a chance to affirm his position as one of the best two-year-olds of the year.
7. Noble Moon (Malibu Moon - Mambo Bell, by Kingmambo) Trained by Todd Pletcher
His third-place finish in Aqueduct's Nashua Stakes (gr. III) may look uninspiring on the surface, but go back and watch the replay. After trailing the field for the first half-mile, Noble Moon unleashed a powerful run on the far outside, sweeping past horses with every stride to reach contention at the top of the stretch. However, by that time, the eventual race winner Cairo Prince had burst to a five- or six-length lead, and while Noble Moon wasn't able to make up that kind of ground, he did stay on well enough to be beaten just three lengths in the end. Assuming he shows more tactical speed in the future -- and there's no reason to think that he won't, since he broke his maiden going six furlongs in gate-to-wire fashion! -- Noble Moon could prove to be a very serious Derby contender in the near future, perhaps as soon as the Remsen Stakes this Saturday.
8. Rise Up (Rockport Harbor - Appenzell, by Johannesburg) Trained by Tom Amoss
This promising colt took advantage of a very poor start from the well-regarded Coastline to win the Delta Downs Jackpot Stakes (gr. III) at Delta Downs, but make no mistake about it, Rise Up's performance was very, very good. After setting fractions of :22.82, :46.30, and 1:11.94, Rise Up burst clear of the field at the top of the stretch and stayed on strongly to win by six lengths in a performance that was perhaps even better than that of last year's Jackpot winner Goldencents.
9. Tamarando (Bertrando - Tamarack Bay, by Dehere) Trained by Jerry Hollendorfer
Unleashed a powerful, sustained rally in the Real Quiet Stakes to win by a bit over three lengths, proving in the process that he can handle two turns. He gets a big test in the CashCall Futurity (gr. I) next month, where he will face stablemate Shared Belief, but assuming he puts in another good run, I think he has what it takes to take some major steps forward next year.
10. Havana (Dunkirk - Missy Turtle, by Kyle's Our Man) Trained by Todd Pletcher
Broke his maiden in blazing fashion at Saratoga and came right back to win the Champagne Stakes (gr. I) over Honor Code and Ride On Curlin, but I was a bit disappointed by his performance in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I), in which he seemed to have the race sewn up in midstretch before faltering late to finish second behind New Year's Day. There's no doubt that he has the potential to be something very, very special, but after Uncle Mo and Shanghai Bobby -- two other recent Champagne winners that failed to progress as expected at age three -- I'm tempted to take a wait-and-see approach with this speedy colt.
-Keelerman
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