HRN: Derby Hopeful: Cairo Prince

Each time I post a new article on my Horse Racing Nation blog, I post a notice on this blog. These notices include an excerpt from the beginning of that article and a link to the piece. My latest Horse Racing Nation article is. . .

Derby Hopeful: Cairo Prince

For the first time, my Derby Hopefuls will be reaching the pages of Horse Racing Nation rather than the original Past the Grandstand. Derby Hopefuls feature the horses I view as the best contenders leading up to the Kentucky Derby. Each horse spotlighted in a Derby Hopeful will join the 2014 PTG Derby Hopeful roster, found on the right side of this blog (the original Past the Grandstand). Horses will be listed in an order that corresponds to how highly I think of them, with the horse I think most highly of ranking at the top. A horse featured in a Derby Hopeful may be taken off the roster if its performances after its article are published are not up to par or if that horse is taken off the Triple Crown trail, though those articles will remain on my blog.

"The road to the 2014 Kentucky Derby (gr. I) has begun. Each week, more and more Derby lists, displaying rankings of potential Derby horses, are shared by racing enthusiasts and turf writers. We are in all in a pursuit to find the next Derby winner, to zone in on the horse that will stand in glory at Churchill Downs with a garland of roses draped over his – or her -- shoulders. There are few declarations prouder than “I picked the Derby winner.”

Many have rested their hopes upon Cairo Prince, recent winner of the Holy Bull Stakes (gr. II) at Gulfstream Park. The dark gray colt made quite the impression as a two-year-old, but his first performance as a three-year-old left the racing world enthusing about the colt with the vision of red roses in mind. More than three months remain until the Kentucky Derby and as we all know, many things can change before then. However, should Cairo Prince maintain the brilliance he has displayed and perhaps even improve upon it while remaining healthy and sound, he will be a fierce competitor on the first Saturday in May. . ."

Click here to read the rest of my newest Horse Racing Nation article.