Pyro attempts May rebound

Synthetic surfaces, especially Polytrack, have made handicapping an even more daunting task. Early Kentucky Derby favorite Pyro was rolling right through his three-year-old conventional dirt campaign, and then came the Blue Grass.

The Steve Asmussen trainee never got involved in his final Polytrack prep, and now he must find a new peak following a poor effort in the most important race of the year for his age group. Somehow, he must rebound against the best of his generation, and all of the top Derby players exits sharp efforts. Note that the last fifty plus Derby winners finished fourth or better in their final prep.

The son of Pulpit recently worked six furlongs (Keeneland) in company with stakes winner Noonmark, but the fog made timing the workout difficult. According to Asmussen, the pair went in 1:14 or so.

Now it is off to Churchill Downs, and I would like to see a solid final drill before considering the sustained runner for a top four placing.