Derby Fever: I Want Revenge scratched; Friesan Fire should win with ease now

I’ve been saying I Want Revenge would win the Derby for weeks, and now, on the day of the Run for the Roses, he gets scratched.

Oh well.

Time to resort to plan B.

Friesan Fire, my second place horse, is now the pick.

He will have tons of history to overcome — a seven week layoff and his trainer Larrry Jones’ second-place blues in the past two runnings of the Derby.

But when Friesan Fire wins, it should make a nice story for Jones following last year’s Eight Belles tradegy.

Here are my previous picks before the scratch.

Now, I’m playing Friesan Fire boxed with Regal Ransom (should be out on the lead early) and Papa Clem (a half brother to Curlin with Bejaron aboard).

-Matthew Kimel, sports editor

Derby Fever: Mullins-trained I Want Revenge overcomes bad trip, takes Wood

There’s not more a trainer can ask for in a Derby prep than what Jeff Mullins got out of I Want Revenge in the $750,000 Wood Memorial (gr. I) Saturday at Aqueduct.

With young Joe Talamo in the irons, the son of Stephen Got Even broke poorly out of the starting gate, which cost him nearly eight lengths from the get go.

Derby Fever: Hold Me Back lets loose in Lane’s End

While there was just one major 3-year-old prep race this weekend, ESPN’s (somewhat) weekly Saturday horse racing coverage began, as the trail to the first Saturday in May is quickly coming to an end.

Longshot Hold Me Back ($20.20) will no longer be held back from the Derby scene after he roared from 11th to first in Saturday’s $500,000 (gr. II) Lane’s End Stakes at Turfway Park to register a 1 ¾-length victory.

With Kent Desormeaux in the irons, the 3-year-old won his first start of the year and for the third time overall in four career starts.

Derby Fever: The Road to the Roses continues

Two new contenders and two leading contenders solidified their path towards a Run for the Roses Saturday in four key Derby preps.

While it is quiet possible the public has already seen the winner of the first jewel of the Triple Crown race in a graded stake, it’s never safe to say the next Curlin or Big Brown won’t emerge on to the scene as a latecomer.

Before we start to talk about the chalk winners over the weekend, let’s take a look at the long shots that entered the winner’s circle Saturday.