As our attention turns to next Saturday's Kentucky Derby, here's some thoughts on some of the leading contenders, starting with Gemologist, the unbeaten winner of the Wood Memorial.

Gemologist, trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by Javier Castellano, is looking to be the eighth unbeaten Derby champion. He fended off a strong challenge by Wood runner-up Alpha in the stretch.



In his other Derby prep, Gemologist cruised to victory by seven lengths in an one-mile allowance race at Gulfstream Park on March 16. Starting from the rail, he quickly went to the lead and easily held off previously unbeaten Grade 1 winner Currency Swap very impressively in hand by seven lengths following a four-month layoff.

Watch that race here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEZo7JeKrVQ&feature=player_embedded

Gemologist won all three of his starts as a two-year-old, a six-furlong maiden sprint (by five lengths) at Turfway Park, and two races at 1 1/16 miles over the very Churchill Downs strip he'll run next Saturday -- an optional claimer (by two lengths) and the Kentucky Jockey Cup (by 1 3/4 lengths).

It's worth noting that the last four Derby winners had only two prep races as a three-year-old, including Pletcher trainee Super Saver, the 2010 Derby champ. Like Gemologist, Super Saver won the Kentucky Jockey Cup on his road to the Derby.

It's certainly no longshot to think Pletcher can claim his second career Derby win -- and Castellano his first -- with this strong entry.