I'm not even sure that we can say "he's better than smooth air"
borel sure did some nice work with this guy though. He put a couple nice works into DoC pre-derby, then he gave him a "Street Sense Jr." ride in the derby. You had to be tremendously thrilled with borel after that high quality job he did. One of the best jobs of building form on a horse that a jockey probably did for a stakes horse in 2008. Not sure why his management rewarded Borel with losing the mount?
come to think of it DoC has had kind of haphazard management whether it was his owner or the trainer...
He could still turn out to be one of those colts who improves when he gets a little stronger or gets a move-up trainer and becomes a legit grade 2 older horse.