Derby Remix: Picture worth a Thousand Words

"I've been looking so long at these pictures of you

That I almost believe that they're real

I've been living so long with my pictures of you

That I almost believe, that the pictures are all I can feel"

With an extra four months before the Kentucky Derby (G1) this year, we could only hope time would give us a clearer picture of the Derby contenders, especially those who have been racing since they were juveniles.

And yet, some contenders are as confusing as ever. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but even after the Shared Belief Stakes, the prospect of getting to know the real Thousand Words remains as murky as the situation in "Pictures of You" by The Cure.

He won his first three starts and emerged as a horse who could handle a battle, after he fought most of the way around in the Los Alamitos Derby (G2) and still won by a neck. But off-the-board finishes in the San Felipe (G2) and the Oaklawn S., combined with the unremarkable record of most of the California 2-year-olds in ongoing Derby trials, layered dust over those earlier win photographs.

Thousand Words was beginning to look like he hadn't kept pace with Derby contenders, or even stakes horses.

A layoff, and then a second-place finish in the Los Alamitos Derby (G2), made Thousand Words look as good as he had since winter but made no suggestion that he would do what he did in the Shared Belief.

On Saturday at Del Mar, Thousand Words looked almost like his wintertime self brought back to life. He set a pressured pace and still had enough left to turn the tables on Honor A. P. and hold by three-quarters of a length.

Does that mean Thousand Words is coming into the promise he showed at 2? Was this just a good day, brought on by someone else's off day or the cutback to a mile and a sixteenth?

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but it's still hard to know what to believe.

---

Derby Remix is a weekly series that crosses the lines of culture and Kentucky Derby contenders.

Read more Derby Remixes below:

Derby Remix: Danza's Derby Day went speeding past

Derby Remix: Country Grammer throws down

Derby Remix: Art Collector looking fine

Derby Remix: Can't catch Uncle Chuck

Derby Remix: Dean Martini dreaming of Derby

Derby Remix: Tiz the Law starts a new chapter

Derby Remix: Afleet Alex's feet won't fail him

Derby Remix: Honor A. P. bided his time