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Graded Earnings: $750,000 Race Record: 5-0-0

Barbaro is the best of the South, with wins this year in the Tropical Park Derby, the Holy Bull and the Florida Derby. The big bay colt is 5-for-5 and will attempt to join the likes of Smarty Jones (2004) and Seattle Slew (1977) as undefeated Derby winners.

Barbaro is a son of Dynaformer, 21, who has improved as a sire with age, as he has produced the core of his top performers late in his stallion career including Perfect Drift, Riskaverse, Starrer, Film Maker, Sand Springs, Collect the Cash, Critical Eye, as well as millionaires Dynever and Mystery Giver - all of whom have reached the peaks of their respective careers within the past five years.

Barbaro's dam, La Ville Rouge, was also talented on dirt and turf, placing in 11-furlong grade two events on both surfaces: Nassau County (dirt) and Sheepshead Bay (turf). Barbaro is just her second foal to race, and the first, Holy Ground, was a listed stakes winner.

Jockey Edgar Prado will climb aboard Barbaro in this year's Derby. Prado dominated the Maryland racing scene for years with multiple riding titles at both Laurel and Pimlico, but in the summer of 1999 decided to shift his tack to >New York. He won 1,000 races over a two-year span in 1997-1998, to join Chris McCarron and Kent Desormeaux as the only riders to accomplish that feat and led the nation in wins with 536 in '97, 474 in '98, and 402 in '99. He was second nationally in earnings last year, when his mounts won over $18 million for the second consecutive year. He also won 299 race in 2005, finishing in seventh nationally while winning at a 20% clip. Prado won the Kentucky Oaks in 2003 on Bird Town and the Belmont twice: Birdstone (2004) and Sarava (2002). He has ridden in the past six Derbies, with his best finish a third on Peace Rules in 2003.

Barbaro is owned by Lael Stables. Lael Stables is the namesake of Roy and Gretchen Jackson, the breeders of Barbaro, live in West Grove, >Pennsylvania. Lael Stables, run by the couple, is a full service breeding operation that also brakes yearlings, does lay-ups and foaling. They have been breeding thoroughbreds since 1978; they currently house 20-30 mares, and they also have about 15 horses in training.

Trained by Michael Matz, a successful national and international riding career has earned Michael Matz the distinction of being the all time leading money winning rider and member of the Show Jumping Millionaire's Club with over $1,700,000 earned in prize money. He scored his biggest victories with Kicken Kris, who won the 2004 Arlington Million and 2003 Secretariat and is now standing stud in Japan. Barbaro would be Matz's first Derby starter.   Comments or Questions? Email FaceOff@BetUS.com.