congrats to those who got a piece

wound up with a decent win bet on
TAP, returned enough to offset the days wagers, and bring some respectability back to my TC bankroll - still down a fair amount, but a bit of salvaging thanks to that colt who first charmed me back in February.
five months and fifteen pages in - followed 'em soup to nuts ... and now we wait, as they rest up for the second half of the three yr. old season. think we have a decent enough crop here - very competitive bunch, no real standout or super horse, but enough depth to make the upcoming stakes very interesting from a wagering standpoint.
Jim Dandy. Haskell, PCC, Travers, BCC - the five big ones we can now look forward to.
here's how i rank them as of right now, as per chops exhibited during the prep season, and through the TC series:
1)
Always Dreaming - the back to back romps in the FD/KD are enough for me to overlook the Preakness debacle. may break the record down the Jersey shore if they opt for the Haskell. the horse most capable of delivering that eye-popping score/fig.
2)
Classic Empire - perhaps the 'favorite' of this crop, won a ton of respect with his gritty win in the AD, then charging home after a tough trip in KD ... followed by being nipped down the stretch in Baltimore. the two yr. old champ rebounded quite nicely from his injuries, and ran with heart each time out. i expect him to bounce back with authority going forward, think he finishes this campaign as an easy H.o.t.Y. candidate, and as the top three year old when it's all said and done.
3)
Tapwrit - won the war of attrition at Big Sandy, after turning in a mostly successful prep season. was forgotten after his BG clunker, but there's a motor in this horse - a very honest and consistent cat. a legit threat in anything they toss him in going forward - he always seems to run his race. best bet to key wagers around. unflappable, methinks ... but, still ... WTF happened in Lexington?
4)
Cloud Computing - star crossed NY circuit darling ... put up impressive speed figs, and had a ton of buzz about him up here. i figured him as a ne'er do well heading into the Preakness - but, man, some folks i really respect were
all over him for that second leg, most notably Andy Serling from NYRA ,who all but guaranteed that Preakness score. the real wildcard here, if he's on the improve - LOOK OUT. loved the dig in at Pimlico, edging the better horse, imo.
5)
Lookin' At Lee - from the zig zag buzz coming home in the AD, to the rail skimming second in KD - cat is fun to watch/root for, and deserves to be slotted in right up with these. ran outta gas, but trying four Gr.1 races in eight weeks can do that to a colt. would love to see him finally bag a WIN pelt, and his style is gonna be tempting in these upcoming tests (picking up fried horses in the stretch).
and let's not forget the likes of IWC (who is probably as deserving of that fifth slot as LaL), Gunny, McCracken, Battle of Midway, Gormley, etcetc - who turns it around for the summer/fall slate? any of those? they've shown enough to be considered as 'dangerous' options to upend some tickets going forward.
we'll be here 'til the finish line at the BCC ... will fire up the Derby 2018 thread early this year, once the graded two yr. old season kicks in