Harty Upbeat After Colonel John's Morning Gallop at Churchill Downs

Santa Anita Derby winner Colonel John is shaping up to be my top pick going into Saturday's Kentucky Derby. The colt has looked great over the Churchill surface all week, and is currently set as the second choice on the morning line, however I think it's possible that he could end up the post-time favorite after Big Brown drew the unfavorable gate 20.

This morning trainer Eoin Harty delivered a positive review of colt after he galloped about a mile and a half around the Churchill course.

"I've liked what I've seen since I got here and I have no reason to change my opinion," Harty said about the son of Tiznow. "I truly believe tat this horse will be competitive on Derby Day. He's showing me all the signs that Real Quiet and Silver Charm did."

Harty was Bob Baffert's assistant when Baffert won with Silver Charm (1997) and Real Quiet (1998), so even though it's the first trip to the Derby as a head trainer, the experience is nothing new for the 45-year-old Irish native.

"I'm going to be a hero or a zero," he said. "It's my name on the program and the results are going to hang on my head, one way or the other. Before, I was in the background and no matter what happened I didn't have to take the fall for it."

With the third selection in yesterday's post draw, Harty placed Colonel John in gate 10, a spot he said will hopefully keep his horse out of trouble.

"Hopefully we can avoid all that carnage because you know that if those speed horses (on the outside) don't break as fast as they like and they are hustled to the lead, there might be a logjam going into the first turn. I think the race is going to be dictated by what happens on that first turn. I'd like to save some ground and get around that first turn safely," he said.

Harty said that he wants jockey Corey Nakatani to place the colt in a stalking position during Saturday's race.

"I'd like to be about mid-pack -- about seven or eight lengths off the lead, saving some ground and not taking too much dirt in the face," he said.