Contender Profile: Pyro

Now that all of the preps are completed and all of the figures are in, we're gonna get to the meat and potatoes of the field, and examine each horse in order of graded earnings. Of all Derby horses, Pyro has probably gotten the most unwarranted adulation and unwarranted grief. He ran a few big races at two and did what he had to do at Fair Grounds, but then, (cue shock) ran a stinker on polytrack. There are no overwhelming positives or negatives to Pyro, but what he has done, save for his Blue Grass, has run about as fast and been about as consistent as anyone in the field. And now he'll be 7-1+, rather than the 9/2 he would've been had he won the Blue Grass.

Derby Status: Going
Graded Earnings: $1,020,000
Future Odds: 5/1
Owner: Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC
Trainers: Steven M. Asmussen

Awesome, I've been dying to get to this horse. Why I like Pyro: His Louisiana races were way better than they looked, and after running a stupid fast final 5/16 (approximately :28.58, almost unheard of for a dirt horse) in the Risen Star, Bridgmo decided to take him closer to the pace in the La. Derby and see what he could do. Probably the most significant development of Pyro's career in terms of his shot in the Derby. He still finished in a very respectable :30.37. We had a feeling Pyro possessed some kinda tactical speed, but it wasn't until then that he showed the ability to be something other than a one-run closer. Key for the Derby of course, since now that War Pass won't be going, the pace may not be quite as quick. Hopefully Bridgmohan and the Ass Man don't listen to the hype and have this horse 10th or 11th rather than 17th or 18th down the backstretch. Why I don't like Pyro: He's taking too much money based on two two-year-old figure that I think were rather bogus. The Champagne number came up too fast -- the first three finishers only duplicated that form in other questionably figured races, in my opinion -- and though I was impressed by his BC Juvy effort, it seems a little high as well. His pedigree doesn't scream ten furlongs, but he's a strong finisher who figures to hit the board. I'm trying to beat all three favorites on top, but he's obviously one of the ones and has to be used.