WHEN you dig back into old racing publications at the beginning of a season, the columns on classic contenders vary little – over the last 30 years or so, O’Brien, Bolger, Weld, Stoute, Hannon, more recently Appleby, Haggas, all hold the classic potential and they have been there and done it.

It therefore seems strange to look at such an iconic race as tonight’s Kentucky Derby and note that there is only one trainer with runners to have actually trained the first past the post in the famous race.

Todd Pletcher trained Kentucky Derby winners Super Saver (2010) and Always Dreaming (2017). Bill Mott’s Country House (2019) got the race on a disqualification of Maximum Security and Brad Cox’s Mandaloun (2021) got the race much later as Medina Spirit was thrown out for drugs in his system.

It’s one of the great delights about this race. For a premier classic, it can still throw up some crazy winners: Mine That Bird and Rich Strike are past winners, along with the greats like American Pharoah.

There has been some mayhem in Kentucky all week with deaths at the track forcing withdrawals from the Derby.

Juvenile champion Forte still stands head and shoulders over his rivals but there are still doubts.

His five wins and four Grade 1s put him well ahead of anything his rivals have done but his two runs this season did not produce top speed figures and he had to make ground from mid-field and further back. From stall 15 that is a concern in the dirt and dust of a Derby.

And Angel Of Empire, the Arkansas Derby winner, will break from the 14 post, which has seen just two winners in 66 starts, Carry Back in 1961 the last winner from that slot.

Derma Sotogake, the Japanese colt, drew the 17 stall - from which no horse has ever won in 43 attempts.

Todd Pletcher’s second choice Tapit Trice has won his last four but wasn’t convincing in the Grade 1 Blue Grass at Keeneland. Nevertheless, the big grey looks the type to tough it out and stall five should see him able to take a good position and he looks one to be in the mix in a wide open classic if the favourite hits trouble.