Contenders

Bobby Barnett

Bobby Barnett grew up in Louisiana as the son of a horse trainer and began match racing at age twelve. He began training thoroughbreds in 1985 after a brief stint training quarter horses. He has won numerous training titles at Churchill Downs, Louisiana Downs and Oaklawn Park. He trained 1998 champion 2-year-old Answer Lively as well as other prominent runners including Fantasticat, J J'sdream, Precocity, Silent Eskimo, Littlebitlively, Clearly a Queen, Charlie's Beau and Zuppardo Ardo.

Julien Leparoux

Leparoux, 23, is a fast-rising star on the riding stage, recently emerging as leading rider at Turfway Park in winter of 2005-2006 before going on to be the co-leading rider for the Keeneland spring meet - all since starting to ride professionally just in August of 2005. Leparoux won Turfway's 2006 winter riding title in style, setting a new meet record with 167 wins from 529 mounts, boasting an amazing 32 percent win percentage and 64 percent in-the-money performance. Beginning as a stable hand and exercise rider in France, Leparoux moved to the U.S. in 2003 to go to work as an exercise rider for trainer Patrick Biancone, who gave Leparoux his initial opportunity to ride professionally as an apprentice at Saratoga, then as the regular rider on all of his best horses such as Gorella, winner of the Beverly D. Sedgefield will be his first Derby mount.

Mark Stanley

Stanley was born March 12, 1958, in Huntington, W.V. and moved to Kentucky when his father got transferred to Louisville when Stanley was young boy. He owns Star Manufacturing in Lexington, a metal stamping company that specializes in auto parts and appliance components. Stanley often names his fillies after his daughter, Alex, and her changing disposition (i.e. Her Temper, Pleasant Temper, etc.). Her Temper was his first horse, and won her very first start for him in 1993. He has had several stakes winners since that time, including his only Derby starter, Ecton Park, who was 12th in the 1999 Derby, but went on to win the Super Derby and Jim Dandy.

Richard Nip & Omar Trevino (KY)

Swift Temper is from the third crop of the Coolmore stallion Giant's Causeway, who was the European Horse of the Year in 2000. He was undefeated at age two (3 for 3), won five Group One stakes in Europe at age three, and was an unlucky second to Tiznow in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Churchill Downs. A son of Storm Cat, Giant's Causeway defeated some of Europe's best horses both sprinting and going a route of ground. Overall, he won nine of 13 starts, with four seconds, earning over $3 million. Giant's Causeway is out of the mare Mariah's Storm, well known around Kentucky for her wins in the Falls City (GIII) and Mrs. Revere (GIII) at Churchill and upsetting Serena's Song in the Turfway Breeders' Cup (GII). Giant's Causeway has immediately become one of the most prominent and sought after studs in service boasting 26 stakes winners including champion Shamardal.

Swift Temper is out of the Seeking the Gold mare Glasgow's Gold, a member of one of racing's most royal pedigree lines. Glasgow's Gold is out of the Slew o' Gold mare Gorgeous, a multiple Grade 1 winning mare who earned over $1 million from eight wins in fourteen starts. She has produced stakes winner Stunning as well as a trio of other stakes placed fillies. Gorgeous is a half sister to Kentucky Oaks winner Seaside Attraction, the dam of stakes winners Cape Town (Grade 1), Cape Canaveral (Grade 3), and Red Carnival (Grade 3), as well as champion Grade 1 winner Golden Attraction. Cape Town and Cape Canaveral are both very successful stallions and Red Carnival has produced three stakes winners. Golden Attraction has produced stakes winner Gold Trader and two stakes placed runners. The female family also includes champion Fantastic Light, an international champion earner of over $8 million.

SWIFT TEMPER comes into this race off a pair of uninspiring efforts versus lesser competition. She was beaten nearly 10 lengths in the Fantasy (Grade 2) by runaway winner High Heels but finished just 1 ¼-lengths behind third place finisher Cash Included. Two back she was fourth, beaten 6 ¼-lengths, in the Bonnie Miss (Grade 2) behind High Again and Christmas Kid. You would have to go back three races to find a winning performance, and that race came at the expense of first level allowance foes at Fair Grounds. Even though she shows a pair of sharp works since her run in the Fantasy, it is hard to imagine her being competitive as she jumps into the toughest race of her career. Her 50-1 morning-line odds are probably about what they should be. Passing.