I Want Revenge

2009 Prep Recap

Date	Trk	Race	Chart	Distance	Time	BSF	Video
2/7	SA	Robert B Lewis (G2)	Chart	1 1/16m		92
3/7	AQU	Gotham (G3)	Chart	1 1/16 m	1:42.65	113
4/4	AQU	Wood Memorial (G1)	Chart	1 1/8 m	1:49.49	103

Profile by Randy Goulding

Strengths: Versatility has to be his main strength. Capable of winning from a stalking position, he showed that he can overcome trouble with his sensational win in the Wood. Despite all the trouble, he barely got out of a gallop, and he appears to be coming into the Derby as a pretty fresh horse. His strong four-furlong move on Tuesday is another positive sign that he is coming into the race in peak condition.

Weaknesses: Hard to find any. Some will argue that jockey Joe Talamo doesn't have enough experience. His tremendous ride in the Wood dispels that theory. There is also plenty of stamina in the colt's pedigree. The only knock is that Pioneerof the Nile beat him in two straight races in California. He appears to have improved since they met in the Grade 2 Robert B. Lewis, however, and he obviously thrives on dirt.

Strategy: He has good tactical speed, and this could be the rare Derby where the early pace won't be all that quick. Expect Talamo to put him in a stalking position early, and then wait as long as he can before he sets him down. The best thing about him is that Talamo's hands aren't tied. If a quick pace does develop, he can strike from mid-pack.

Value: The potential favorite in a 20-horse field, he doesn't offer a lot of value in the win pool. Exotics are the place to go. I Want Revenge and Pioneerof the Nile will be the key horses. Dunkirk will probably be an underlay and Friesan Fire might offer the best value underneath.

Pedigree Analysis By Dan Illman

Dosage Profile:  5-8-13-0-0
Dosage Index:  3.00
Center of Distribution: 0.69
Auction:  $95,000 RNA juvenile

Sire:  Stephen Got Even won the nine-furlong Galleryfurniture.com Stakes in 1999 en route to finishing fourteenth on the first Saturday in May.  He rebounded to take the Grade 1 Donn Handicap with an eye-opening 120 Beyer Speed Figure in his only start at four. 
Stephen Got Even's sire, A.P. Indy, was one of the favorites for the Kentucky Derby, but scratched on the morning of the race.  He went on to win the Belmont Stakes at 1 1/2 miles and the Breeders' Cup Classic at 1 1/4 miles. 
Stephen Got Even has sired Excellent Shine, the champion stayer in Puerto Rico.  Excellent Shine has wins at distances up to 13 furlongs in his career. Don't Get Mad, a son of Stephen Got Even, finished fourth in the 2005 Derby.

Dam:  Meguial began her career in her native Argentina, and she was Group 1-placed at 10 furlongs on the dirt there before being imported to North America.  In the United States, she was multiple stakes-placed at 1 1/16 miles on dirt.  Her career-best Beyer Speed Figure was the 86 earned when sixth and last behind Azeri in the Grade 1 Vanity Handicap at nine furlongs.

Outlook:  I Want Revenge looked strong despite a terrible trip in the Wood Memorial at 1 1/8 miles, and acts like the extra furlong won't trouble him. His pedigree is solid for this distance.