His list is a good one, and his reasoning sound. I am not sure I’d put Desert Party in the top 10 — the race he won in Dubai last week was not that deep — and I think Chocolate Candy should be rated better than 10th. Those are the quibbles of a dilettante, though.

In the end, Chocolate Candy held off a determined late bid by Massone along the inside. At the eighth pole, it looked as though Massone might steal the race, but when Chocolate Candy and jockey Russell Baze saw their rivals come into view, they rallied again to hold the challenger at bay by half a length in the 1 1/8-mile race.

The disappointment in this race was Axel Foley, the 5-2 second choice, which faded badly to finish fourth, 11 lengths behind the winner. Right with the winner on the far turn, Axel Foley had nothing to offer in the stretch drive. It might be that his connections now will direct him on a path other than the road to the Kentucky Derby.

As for Chocolate Candy, detractors will say he ran unimpressively, beating an inferior opponent by a small margin. That probably would not be the correct interpretation of this race, however.

As Chocolate Candy’s trainer Jerry Hollendorfer warned his horse’s jockey before the six-runner field took to the track, there was no pace in the race. That situation doesn’t favor an off-the-pace sort such as Chocolate Candy, which does his best running when the pace is strong. The lack of pace accounts for why Chocolate Candy pulled hard and ran closer to the lead than he usually does. It was a muddled, small-field race, more tactical than a truly run contest with a larger field, and Chocolate Candy did well to win under the circumstances.

The winner might now be entered in the Santa Anita Derby on April 4. That seems his likeliest next step.

Breaking alertly from the starting gate, Old Fashioned took a brief lead, then let Silver City assert an aggressive pace well into the far turn. At that point, Old Fashioned made his move, sustained and purposeful. He wore down Silver City through the stretch, pulling away to win a by a widening 3-1/4 lengths.

The opening fractions in this race were brisk, with the opening quarter in :22.47 and a swift half-mile in :45.98. Opposing jockeys and horses hoping the leaders would falter were left unfulfilled.

Old Fashioned is now undefeated in four races, three last year and one this year. He will be pointed toward the two remaining Kentucky Derby preparatory races at Oaklawn Park: the Grade 2, $300,000 Rebel on March 14 and the Grade 2, $1 million Arkansas Derby on April 11.

Some will say that Old Fashioned had to work to win this race. That might be true, but he also won with plenty in hand. Silver City never looked capable of denying the favorite today.

Bred in Kentucky by Rod and Lorraine Rodriguez, Old Fashioned was bought at Keenleland as a yearling for $800,000. He is trained by Larry Jones, who saddled Hard Spun and the tragic Eight Belles, respectively, in the last two editions of the Kentucky Derby. Rick Porter, who owned both those racers, also owns Old Fashioned.

Interestingly, Jones believes Old Fashioned is better than his previous Derby entrants.

Said Jones, even before the Southwest Stakes ran been run:

“I think this is the most talented horse I’ve ever had. I think he’s the best all-around horse that we’ve had. At this point, he’s definitely more proven than anything we’ve had. He’s just a little ahead of where we normally are this time of the year.”

In romping to such an authoritative win, General Quarters might have derailed the Kentucky Derby Hopes of race favorite Free Country, who was ridden by Kent Desormeaux, and Atomic Rain, piloted by John Valazquez. Free Country finished fourth, 8-1/4 lengths behind the winner, who was ridden to victory by James Lopez. Atomic Rain was further back, in seventh, never really getting into it.

In fact, the Sam Davis was a race in which nobody came from off the pace. The early leaders set an honest but not torrid pace, and, for the most part, they had plenty in reserve for the stretch drive. General Quarters had claimed the race before any of the late runners could get going.

Given the nature of the race, and considering that the favorites ran so disappointingly, it is difficult to know what to make of the form. We’ll know more about General Quarters when he contests the Tampa Bay Derby, another Grade 3 event, which seems his next target.

Dettori chose to ride Desert Party over Vineyard Haven, an early favorite for the Kentucky Derby and a winner of two major two-year-old stakes events in the United States in the summer and fall of 2008.

Well, Dettori clearly knew what he was doing.

Handily beaten by Vineyard Haven in the Three Chimneys Hopeful Stakes (G1) on September 1 at Saratoga Race Course, Desert Party turned the tables today at Nad al Sheba racecourse, pulling away in the stretch drive to win by a comfortable 4¾ lengths under Dettori.

Vineyard Haven seemed well placed by Ted Durcan on the far turn and at the top of the home lane, but he was flat when the challenge came and finished a well-beaten fourth.

After winning the race aboard Desert Party, Dettori indicated that stable connections at Godolphin had advised him that Vineyard Haven was not in form.

Said Dettori:

“Listening to the vibes among the team I had to stick with this fellow as Vineyard Haven really was not showing much at home.

“That was perhaps down to the surface and I was concerned switched to dirt he would be a big danger. But we felt he would be ring-rusty anyway and I think that has appeared the case.”

Desert Party is likely to be aimed at the UAE Derby, whereas Vineyard Haven’s next move is open to question.

After today’s performance, Godolphin will be criticized for racing the colt in Dubai as preparation for the Kentucky Derby. It’s definitely an unconventional approach, and detractors will argue that Godolphin has taken a horse that was running in peak form in America and turned him into a disappointing also-ran in the Middle East.

Today’s field was not particularly strong, even though it did include some older runners. Vineyard Haven’s poor performance leaves him and Godolphin with plenty to prove.

Facing nine opponents, all three years old or older, Vineyard Haven will be running his first race since winning the one-mile Champagne Stakes by nearly six lengths at Belmont in early October.

Owned by Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin Racing and trained by Saeed Bin Suroor, Vineyard Haven appears well placed to maintain his winning form in Dubai. Among those he will face Thursday is his stablemate and fellow Derby contender Desert Party. Vineyard Haven handily defeated Desert Party in the Three Chimneys Hopeful Stakes, a seven-furlong Grade 1 stakes event run on September 1 at Saratoga.

Interestingly, Godolphin’s top jockey, Lanfranco “Frankie” Dettori, will pilot Desert Party. Vineyard Haven will be ridden by Ted Durcan. Desert Party has had the benefit of a race in Dubai, winning a seven-furlong conditions race on January 22 by a half length over Regal Ransom, another Godolphin runner who will be competing in the UAE 2000 Guineas.

It’s difficult to envision Regal Ransom turning the tables on Desert Party. Regal Ransom had a six-pound advantage over Desert Party when they last met, and they’ll be carrying equal weight Thursday.

Similarly, though, I’d be surprised to see Desert Party defeat Vineyard Haven, which has looked better with each outing. Maybe, however, Vineyard Haven’s four-month layoff will prove his undoing in Dubai. Perhaps Frankie Detorri knows something I don’t.

It’s still too early to say which horses will run in the race, much less win it, but the official website for the 2009 Kentucky Derby is offering free Brisnet past-performance charts for all current contenders. I’ll be giving the list a scan in the next few days, and I’ll provide some commentary on notable entries.

I am a racing hobbyist, not a professional gambler or an industry veteran. I’ll take the approach of an enthusiast, focusing on aspects of the sport that I find compelling and sharing my exuberance and occasional insights when and where I find them.

My geographic purview with span continents. I live in North America, but I take an interest in racing over the UK and Ireland, too. Sometimes, but not often, my interest will take me further afield, to horses and tracks in Asia, the Middle East, and Australia.

I look forward to feedback from interested parties.