Kentucky Derby 2012: Who's hot, who's not for March 28

WHO’S HOT
With their lucrative victories over the weekend, both Daddy Nose Best, who won the Sunland Derby, and Went the Day Well, who captured the Spiral Stakes, muscled their way onto the Derby Watch top 20 this week. Mike Watchmaker, Daily Racing Form’s national handicapper, has Daddy Nose Best at 25-1 on his Kentucky Derby future line, with Went the Day Well at 30-1.

WHO’S NOT
Castaway was dropped from the top 20 because of his poor performance in the Sunland Derby. To make room for both newcomers, Midnight Transfer also was dropped, solely because of his current position on the graded stakes earnings list. As the Derby draws closer, the Derby Watch top 20 must increasingly reflect the realities of how much graded cash is in the bank account of each contender.

ON THE BUBBLE
News Pending, second to Union Rags in the Fountain of Youth Stakes, gets another chance to move into the top 20 when he runs Saturday in the Florida Derby. Rousing Sermon can move back onto the list with a sharp performance Sunday in the Louisiana Derby. Both those races are worth $1 million. Optimizer, runner-up in the Rebel, also is poised to move onto the list. Also this weekend is the $2 million United Arab Emirates Derby, but that race is not expected to produce a Derby runner.

[DERBY WATCH: Top 20 contenders | Union Rags set for another step forward]