By John Pricci
NBCSports.com contributor
updated 7:58 p.m. CT, Fri., March. 21, 2008
John Pricci
BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. - Anyone who has spent time around Rick Dutrow probably would agree his disposition is described best with one word: unflappable. He doesnt rattle easily, has an easy way of moving about and answers questions in matter-of-fact style, like hes been there, done it.
So, will he allow his first Kentucky Derby get the better of him, is there any anxiety about the pressure cooker hes about to enter, will it alter the confidence he has in his training program?
That would be no, no and no.
Im going to follow his lead, the trainer of Big Brown, one of the strong Florida Derby favorites, said in his stable office, Barn 22, at the Palm Meadows training center. Hell take us as far as we can go.
From what he sees thus far, Dutrow believes, as does his jockey, Kent Desormeaux, who forsook a trip to Dubai for next Saturdays World Cup festivities to ride Big Brown at Gulfstream.
Where Big Brown goes, Kent Desormeaux will go
Desormeauxs agent, Mike Sellito, said it best a few weeks ago when he informed his regular customers and the rest of the racing world: Where Big Brown goes, Kent Desormeaux will go.
For Desormeaux on Wednesday, that meant a short trip north on I-95, west on 595, then north on Floridas Turnpike, about 30 miles and a couple of furlongs by car from the Fort Lauderdale International Airport. He worked his Florida Derby mount five furlongs.
After working Big Brown five-eighths in a minute, like breaking so many sticks I told him not too fast, not too slow, Desormeaux got off the colt, walked into Dutrows office and said: You know, the other day when he won, I was so high that I was saying crazy things, like hes the best horse Ive ever ridden. Now I think he really might be.
Dutrow recalled Desormeauxs words before showing the reporter his trainers log book, repeating exactly what he told the rider in response to his best horse comment. First, some background:
Dutrow and the entire racetrack knew what he was getting even before Big Brown walked into his barn following a private purchase for a major interest in the colt. Big Brown had run exactly once, on the grass at Saratoga. He left the barrier so fast that he blew the first turn but, after settling into comfortable stride, Jeremy Rose pushed the button into the stretch and Big Brown drew off to win by 11¼ lengths.
Not long after the highly successful IEAH group outbid Darley Stable interests for Big Brown, he was turned over to Dutrow, who immediately pointed to the inaugural Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf. Plans were scrapped when the colt developed a quarter crack. Back to the drawing board, Dutrow repeated the process this year but before the colt could return to the races he developed another quarter crack on the off side.
Following more rest and repair, Big Brown started shed-walking Feb. 1 until finally, on the 11th, with the crack almost completely healed, Big Brown began jogging two miles a day. Between Feb. 11 and Mar. 1, Big Brown had three workouts, all of the not-too-fast-not-too-slow variety: three furlongs, galloping out a half-mile; a half-mile, out five furlongs, and finally five furlongs, out three-quarters.
A turf horse AND a dirt horse
I always thought he was better on turf but when I worked him in company and (older stakes horse) Diamond Stripes couldnt stay with him, I knew I had a turf horse AND a dirt horse.
He worked an unbelievable five furlongs I couldnt imagine he was anywhere near 100 percent but was fit and ready to run. I asked the racing secretary to write a race; turf, dirt, it didnt matter. I told nobody about how I trained him. Then I called Bobby Frankel and said listen to what I did, I must be crazy.
A mile turf race was written for Mar. 5 but rain forced it to be rescheduled on the main track. After stalking a :22 4/5 and :45 1/5 pace, Big Brown easily took the lead approaching the stretch beneath a motionless Desormeaux, was six lengths in front in a twinkling and 12¾ lengths to the good at the end of a 1:35 3/5 mile.
Two starts, two wins, by a combined 24 lengths. Mike (Ivarone, managing partner of IEAH) called the night he won. I was so excited I couldnt talk.
(Big Brown) is so laid back, unassuming, said his trainer. He doesnt make you pay attention to him. On the track he does what you want and we let him do what he wants. Hes starting to come around, figuring things out. Now he wants to do more but we just try to keep him in hand.
The Florida Derby is Saturday, Mar. 29. Hell work next on the 25th, same thing, another five-eighths. Dutrow is not allowing himself to become too excited, and has no interest in trying to get to the bottom of Big Brown. Im just trying to stay out of his way.
3 Things You Won't Read Anywhere Else
Opinions are like a March Madness office pool. Sometimes the dweeb in the cubicle next to you comes off looking like a genius while you study your brain into mush and still wallow in ineptitude.
1 -- Stick a fork in WAR PASS. The seismic rebound needed after his Tampa Bay Derby debacle is insurmountable given his lack of versatility and fact he's gotten nothing out of not one, but two preps to this point. Shame, too, because I'm a big, big fan. Worse yet, you almost have to think something physically will show up down the road to explain it -- or was more present than what's been publicly alluded to so far.
2 -- I'm the first to want what's best for horseplayers, but a rule "demanding" the public know if WAR PASS had spiked a fever or not simply fails in its intent to protect gamblers. Do you want a shady trainer telling you the thermometer popped to get a better price on his own wager? Of course not, so this discussion cuts both ways. A horse's health is a necessary part of the gamble. Now, if a horse is moved off-site to a hypobaric chamber (ala Sweet Catomine a few springs ago), that's a different story...or, if the state veterinarian sees a particular horse, then that should be public record.
3 -- After a silent winter, don't be surprised to see multiple starters from Todd Pletcher on the first Saturday in May. Both ATONED and TEXAS WILDCATTER appear to be coming to hand with one prep left to go, and Pletcher often has a Keeneland late riser on the scene.
This Week's Fearless Forecast
This section includes a preview of the coming week's 3-year-old races to watch. Before we analyze the stakes action in Kentucky and Maryland, it's time to highlight a few undercard races of note this weekend.
Michael Matz's million-dollar baby ANEWDAY tops a 7-furlong MSW Saturday at Gulfstream. The third-time starter meets impeccably bred rookie FWHYEYE (Unbridled's Song-Rare Blend) for Kiaran McLaughlin and fast-working debuter ECTON ROAD for Dale Romans. Out west, Santa Anita has a sharp MSW turf mile Saturday where STREET ROYAL returns after a solid third to MEDJOOL. If the latter runs big in the G2 Lane's End earlier in the day, it might be an "all in" situation on this Bob Hess trainee in Santa Anita's fifth.
Also watch out for Tom Amoss' very versatile BOSS LAFITTE on the Fair Grounds turf Saturday in the listed Grindstone Stakes on closing weekend.
G2 Lane's End (Saturday/Turfway Park):
With a full field of runners and an extremely balanced potential pace scenario, expect the Polytrack-surfaced Lane's End to be run in very turf-like fashion. Several players should be in the mix at the top of the lane with a quick burst needed for the big prizes. Trip and acceleration should be atop your handicapping radar.
With John Velazquez staying at Gulfstream to ride the $200,000 Shirley Jones on a Jimmy Jerkens trainee, it leaves an empty feeling for Todd Pletcher's Lane's End reps CHITOZ and DUKE OF DE BUQE. Both look questionable at 1-1/8 miles, though CHITOZ ran what looked to be a winning race in last year's Kentucky Cup Juvenile over this track. I don't think he has the punch at 9 panels to out-kick some of the Lane's End top contenders, but he should be in the melee.
ADRIANO could daylight this field if he runs his A-race. His Gulfstream turf allowance win earlier this year was perhaps the best display of acceleration on the entire Triple Crown trail this season, outside of PYRO's Risen Star display. He was completely washed out prior to the Fountain of Youth and looked atrocious going to the gate, as though he had no chance. He ran as rank as he looked, and it should be noted that was on a date that had record-setting heat. Cooler temps at Turfway make me think that ADRIANO will bounce back in a major way, especially when you consider how this race shapes up in a very turf-like fashion.
MACHO AGAIN, though highly regarded by me, ran poorly on Polytrack at Keeneland in his only other plastics try, and he's a real question mark at 9 furlongs. This just doesn't look like a great spot for him. Also in a very tough spot are RACECAR RHAPSODY and TURF WAR, who both make their first appearances since December's G3 Delta Jackpot. Nine panels on a demanding surface is a hundred-foot hurdle of sorts without a foundation. Plus, the Jackpot alumni have been spitting pennies, not silver dollars, this spring.
CANNONBALL is extremely dangerous Saturday. His sire, Catienus, is one of the most successful sires since Turfway's Polytrack installation. Alex Solis comes east to ride in an interesting pairing, and CANNONBALL has kept fantastic running lines throughout his career.
Bettors will have plenty of love for HALO NAJIB and MEDJOOL, though the latter took the worst of a brutal post 12 draw. MEDJOOL is one of the west coast's most impressive maidens of 2008 and would be no surprise whatsoever if Michael Baze can work out a trip. But that could be nearly impossible if this balanced pace scenario plays out as it projects and the field does not spread out. HALO NAJIB hasn't figured out exactly what he is just yet, though we know he loves synthetic tracks. He's a pace wildcard, but has yet to show he really wants 1-1/8 miles or more. Given the likelihood of an under-laid price, he'll be a tepid toss Saturday.
Everyone's a Critic
This section includes a recap of last week's important performances in the 3-year-old division. So what do you want to make of WAR PASS and the Tampa Bay Derby? Let's start with last week's "good" before getting to the "bad" and "ugly."
Ala Smarty Jones in the 2004 Arkansas Derby, GEORGIE BOY earned his distance stripes and showed he could be world-class on the first turn, not the second, of Saturday's G2 San Felipe. Superstar horses are able to apply the brakes, relax, settle and make multiple runs in "push-button" style, and 'GEORGIE avoided problems on the San Felipe's first bend in a manner befitting a star. What's most impressive is he did it with back-up jockey Michael Baze on his back following Rafael Bejarano's injury. When Baze called upon him with three-sixteenths of a mile to run, 'GEORGIE responded with a fury despite not changing leads and still accelerating in razor-sharp splits of :23.56 and :05.78. Slow pace early or not, that's flying home, even on Cushion Track. He doesn't have the daisy-cutter efficiency of Smarty Jones in his sometimes-ugly stride, but just imagine if GEORGIE BOY's herky-jerkyness is a product of racing over a synthetic track he's not particularly fond of? This is THE one horse I can't wait to see train over the dirt at Churchill Downs on Derby Week. If he continues to progress in the Santa Anita Derby, and shows a smooth a.m. action in Louisville, look out. Stay tuned in the weeks to come.
As for the San Felipe runner-ups, BOB BLACK JACK had everything his way on the front end in splits that I wasn't sure he was capable of slowing to (1:13 for the opening 6 panels). That bodes well for him in future middle-distance stakes, showing he's not exclusively a 6-furlonger, but it shows a glaring weakness at classic distances given he still couldn't hold off his challengers in GEORGIE BOY and GAYEGO. The latter did what he was supposed to, pressing a soft pace and not letting anyone of lesser ilk come and get him. He's a worthy Santa Anita Derby starter, but his San Felipe did not show me that GAYEGO can factor with the likes of COLONEL JOHN and EL GATO MALO at 9 panels. Meanwhile, the choice to send BOB BLACK JACK to the G2 Arkansas Derby doesn't make much sense given the more-demanding nature the Oaklawn racetrack has on front-runners.
SIERRA SUNSET scored last Saturday's G2 Rebel at Oaklawn in what likely was his "derby" of 2008, capitalizing on a great draw and sweet trip behind a runaway leader incapable of carrying the day. His regional rise lends credence to his former west coast running-mates and goes to show that those synthetics alumni had better be respected. Runner-up KING'S SILVER SON has been one the COUNTDOWN's most talked-about breakout runners of the season, and he even outran my expectations with a strong-closing second in the Rebel. Remember, this is a horse who missed almost a month after his bulb-lighting maiden score at Fair Grounds. He's sitting on a huge performance in the Arkansas Derby, and rates the one to beat next month unless a national heavyweight enters the ring. Stablemate Z FORTUNE simply didn't cut it in his local debut, finishing a terribly disappointing fifth with no real relevant on-track excuses. I'd like to see him in the G2 Lexington at 1-1/16 miles next, but owner Ahmed Zayat appears to be fishing in deeper-stocked ponds this spring, so I doubt that will be the port of call. I'm not interested if he's back in the Arkansas Derby after seeing his OP unveiling.
LIBERTY BULL overcame a tough post draw and was clearly best in $600,000 WinStar Derby, but when a 3-race maiden runs second (SCREEN TO SCREEN for Bob Baffert), the "wow" factor fizzles. This is a very strong Ohio Derby, West Virginia Derby-type performer for Tom Amoss, but I'm not buying him for the bigger dances. The good thing for 'BULL is that Amoss historically doesn't have Triple Crown fever and has no shame in bagging six-figure stakes instead of force-feeding horses where they don't belong. LIBERTY BULL certainly deserves to get one shot against the heavies, most likely the Arkansas Derby, given his affinity for the OP strip.
Now, about that WAR PASS character. You don't see 1-to-20 shots everyday, much less those who run last while not in physical distress. The very reason I fell in love with WAR PASS last summer in his debut at Saratoga came back to bite him in the Tampa Bay Derby. At the Spa, he broke terribly, rushed up to contention and forgot to stop. He kept running all the way to the 2-year-old championship. Debut horses who break in a mess and rush up often retreat in the lane. WAR PASS proved to be different.
But WAR PASS' gate antics returned Saturday at Tampa, tossing his head before the start and breaking a step slow, which allowed 2 inferior horses to take his space. After watching the head-on replay about 842 times this week, the gate bumping has been vastly overrated in the racing press. Great horses overcome starts far worse than that. Watch Barbaro's Derby break and you'll get what I mean. Subway commuters take more devastating shoves on a daily basis than what WAR PASS witnessed at Tampa. His inability to overcome that in a route race separates him from his sprint debut success, and harkens back to War Emblem, whose minor stumble in the 2002 Belmont Stakes out-ed him as a classics fraud and one-trick speed pony. WAR PASS might come back and win the Wood Memorial with a clean trip and loose lead; remember War Emblem annexed the Haskell after being exposed. But demand perfect conditions.
BIG TRUCK scored the Tampa Bay Derby in a performance lost in the headlines. But he was just okay. So much for fancy analysis, huh? Remember, the horses running 5-6-7 throughout in this 7-horse field wound up 1-2-3 when longshot roulette duelers crapped out on the engine and WAR PASS went into retreat. Barclay Tagg would be the last trainer in America to get delusions of grandeur, and I can't imagine him thinking anything other than "we got away with one here." BIG TRUCK is a very serviceable, nice 3-year-old, and one with a summer date at short odds in graded races like the Leonard Richards at Delaware Park. He had the edge in recent efforts over runner-up ATONED, and it helped him in a dogged stretch battle. Of these two in a rematch, I would lean heavily to ATONED, who needed the Tampa race and figures to deserve a considerable look in his next start depending on whom he hooks. He's talented, but might be a slight cut below the best, regardless of seasoning.
In a light week of undercard races around the nation last week, easily the top performance went to the Steve Asmussen-trained KODIAK KOWBOY, who dominated a Friday ALW at Oaklawn. His final time of 1:10.21 for 6 panels was extremely fast over a decidedly dull surface, and he opened up 6 lengths through the lane over G3-placed SEBASTIAN COUNTY. Expect him next in the Lafayette at Keeneland, still sprinting.
As for 2-turn prospects, Bobby Barnett (of Answer Lively repute) has a late-running ace who could be an Illinois Derby factor in JAZZ IN THE PARK. He won his second straight Fair Grounds route last Friday, moving last-to-first despite miserably slow fractions and facing just five rivals -- factors that both typically lead to front-end dominance. He ran the final quarter-mile in a very stout :24.51 over that long FG lane and chased down the classy RILEY TUCKER, graded-stakes placed last year in the Saratoga Special and Arlington-Washington Futurity.
Rubber Necking
Each week, we'll give you a race video worth a second look. One runner familiar with Turfway's Polytrack surface before Saturday's G2 Lane's End is CHITOZ. The Todd Pletcher trainee ran a solid second over this track last fall. Let's take a look at that Kentucky Cup Juvenile performance. Video, courtesy of the NTRA.com Race Video Archive, here. My take? CHITOZ (wearing #9) looked comfortable in stride from the beginning and handled the track very well, but lost too much ground on both turns to finish with any flair. However, his running lines suggest he's often lacking late punch no matter the trip, so 1-1/8 miles will be tough for him Saturday.
Quick Hitters
Next week's menu includes the Grade 1 $1 million Florida Derby from Gulfstream, where potential stars BIG BROWN and HEY BYRN make their big-time debuts. Peruvian wonder-horse TOMCITO fired a bullet drill at Gulfstream last week in preparation for his stateside debut and those three make this one of the most intriguing preps of the entire season. BIG BROWN countered with a 5F bullet on Wednesday at Palm Meadows ... WAR PASS rose from 9-2 to 8-1 odds in the Wynn Las Vegas Derby futures book ... Look for Julien Leparoux to be aboard DENIS OF CORK in the Wood Memorial on April 5, a race in which Garrett Gomez has opted to ride COURT VISION instead of west coaster COLONEL JOHN, who gets Corey Nakatani back for the Santa Anita Derby.
High Fives
Jeremy Plonk's Top 5-rated performances this year by class. (Dec. 26-present)
Maiden Race
1. CROWN OF THORNS - Santa Anita 1/1 (injured)
2. ADMIRALTY - Gulfstream 2/21
3. UNDERSTATEMENT - Gulfstream 2/7
4. READY'S ECHO - Gulfstream 3/5
5. HOODS UP - Santa Anita 12/26
Allowance Race
1. WAR PASS - Gulfstream Park 2/24
2. TEXAS WILDCATTER - Philly Park 12/28
3. ADRIANO - Gulfstream 1/11 (turf)
4. HEY BYRN - Gulfstream 2/10
5. BIG BROWN - Gulfstream 3/5
Stakes Race
1. PYRO - Risen Star 2/9
2. EL GATO MALO - San Rafael 1/12
3. PYRO -- Louisiana Derby 3/8
4. GEORGIE BOY - San Vicente 2/10
5. COLONEL JOHN - Sham 3/1
Put 'Em In The Gate
Can't wait for May 3? This section ranks my Top 20 and puts horses in the gate if the race was this weekend. Remember, this isn't about how they'll be on Derby Day, but rather how they rate today with Derby ability at 1-1/4 miles a main factor. This will be a fluid list over the the spring.
Think I'm off my rocker? Send your Top 20 list to me, jplonk@hotmail.com, and I'll pick one fan's list each week to appear in Countdown to the Crown right next to mine. Please put "TOP 20" in the subject line and include your state of residence!
JEREMY'S TOP 20: ELEVENTH WEEK OF 2008 SEASON1 Pyro 11 Ferragamo
2 Colonel John 12 Elysium Fields
3 Georgie Boy 13 Hey Byrn
4 Court Vision 14 Tale of Ekati
5 El Gato Malo 15 Cool Coal Man
6 Visionaire 16 Big Brown
7 Denis of Cork 17 Sierra Sunset (new)
8 War Pass 18 King's Silver Son (new)
9 Texas Wildcatter 19 Z Fortune
10 Blackberry Road 20 Atoned (new)
READER-SUBMITTED TOP 20 FROM LINDA IN COLORADO 1 Big Brown 11 Visionaire
2 Pyro 12 Tomcito
3 Denis of Cork 13 Elysium Fields
4 Colonel John 14 Sierra Sunset
5 War Pass 15 Fierce Wind
6 Georgie Boy 16 Eight Belles (filly)
7 Court Vision 17 Texas Wildcatter
8 El Gato Malo 18 Hey Byrn
9 Cool Coal Man 19 Atoned
10 Blackberry Road 20 Big Truck
Pyro Had the Look of a Winner Early On
by Jason Shandler
Updated: March 22, 2008
Pyro is the perfect example of how extraordinary Thoroughbreds can reveal their potential early with a certain look and feel that is different than your average horse.
It wasnt just because he had done anything amazing on the track, though. It was the way he carried himself," said Evan Downing, assistant to trainer Steve Asmussen, March 21 at Keeneland, where Pyro is training for the April 12 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I).
Long before Pyro became a multiple graded stakes winner and the leading contender for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), grooms, exercise ridesrs, and jockeys alike knew they were handling something special.
"We could sense it," Downing continued. "(Regular jockey) Shaun (Bridgmohan) said that, too. As soon as he rode him for the first time, he said immediately that this is going to be a nice horse. And everybody else who rode him said that as well."
Downing spoke about the son of Pulpit as he calmly stood in Barn 36 at Keeneland, which will be his home for at least the next three weeks. Pyro, who is owned and bred by Winchell Thoroughbreds, arrived at Keeneland March 19, along with his other 40-plus stablemates.
Hes a very adaptable animal. He has settled in very nicely, she said. Hell have his first work (March 24) when Steve gets here, and hell work once a week leading up to the Blue Grass."
Downing said Pyro, who is out of the Wild Again mare Wild Vision, has matured a great deal as a 3-year-old. Aside from putting on about 250-300 pounds, Pyro has become more relaxed, she said.
When he was a 2-year-old, he was a little bit of a boy brat, and he actually tried to kick the daylights out of me, Downing said. He could definitely act a little studdish. Now he is more relaxed and has taken on more of a manly look. But even though he acted up a little bit in the beginning, he has always been a very confident horse, and was like that even when he first came up to Churchill from Laredo (Texas, where Asmussens father, Keith, broke him).
"He has always been pretty sure of himself. He never had any type of nervous energy about him, which you see sometimes. Things just dont seem to rattle him. When he gets excited its because he feels good, but he definitely doesnt have fragile nerves.
Pyros easy-going demeanor can be seen in his racing style. Usually breaking slowly from the gate, the dark bay colt seems to bide his time on the backstretch before unleashing his furious assault on the lead around the final turn and into the stretch. Nowhere was that more evident than in the Feb. 9 Risen Star Stakes (gr. III), in which he went from last to first in what seemed like an instant. A convincing victory followed in the March 8 Louisiana Derby (gr. II).
Still, Downing said, his connections knew Pyro was capable of big things before those two wins.
We felt he was going to do big things before he even raced, said Downing, who has been an assistant with Asmussen for three years. We had been working him with horses that were already graded stakes winners and he eyeballed them. We threw him into stout company right away and he always handled it. We kind of knew that this was a horse that wed been waiting for.
Ky Derby Trail: Is Pyro Really Too Slow?
by Steve Haskin
Updated: March 25, 2008
Despite being ranked No. 1 or 2 on just about every Derby poll, Pyro, for some reason, has been branded by many a slow horse and simply the best of a bad lot. Yes, the pace in his two starts this year has been slow, and his final times have not exactly set the Fair Grounds teletimer aflame, but is this horse really as slow as many of the experts say he is?
His Beyer numbers have been called modest. His speed figures have been termed slow. One line in a column referred to Pyros two slow victories at Fair Grounds. One pollster, who had him ranked No. 1 all year, dropped him to No. 2 in a week in which he didnt even run, nor did the horse who replaced him atop the list. The pollster, upon second thought, had felt that perhaps the colts accomplishments were an illusion, and pointed out that he was a faster horse last year.
The odd part is that Pyro was 1-for-4 last year, losing three times to War Pass, and is 2-for-2 this year, winning both his starts by daylight.
On the Beyers, Pyro ran a 105 in the Bessemer Trust Breeders Cup Juvenile (gr. I), a number that is only a few points below many Derby-winning figures. This year, he is slowly heading back to that number, running a 90 and a 95. Many people feel that 95 is still too low for a top Derby contender, and while that may be true on Derby Day, Pyro has shown he can run much faster, and no other 3-year-old has run higher than a 99 in two-turn stakes competition this year. So if Pyros Beyers are slow, whose are fast? Sierra Sunset (99), who is off the Derby trail, Cool Coal Man (98), Visionaire (98), Elysium Fields (97), Denis of Cork (96), and Nikkisgoldensteed (96) are not exactly tearing up the track, and none of these have a triple-digit Beyer to fall back on, as Pyro does. Who wants their horse to tear up the track in February and March anyway?
On Thoro-Graph, Pyro ran a negative-1 in the BC Juvenile. The only horse to run that fast this year going two turns is allowance winner Hey Byrn. The fastest two-turn stakes horses have been Denis of Cork with a 1/4, Elysium Fields and Big Brown with a 1, and Sierra Sunset with a 1 1/2. Well, Pyro, who clearly has not been honed for his top effort, has run a 3 1/2 followed by a 2. So, even though he still has a lot more improvement left in him, hes already right there with the fastest 3-year-olds.
Hes doing almost identically what Carl Nafzger did with Street Sense, said Thoro-Graphs Jerry Brown. Both horses ran well enough at two to win the Derby. Its not a question of having them improve; its just a question of having them get back to their best race. Both these trainers have clearly taken a path where theyre not going to have the horse expend any extra energy before then, and in both cases they decided to run on Polytrack in their last start before the Derby. Nafzger already knew his horse didnt love the surface, and Asmussen is smart and knows that all he has to do is basically get this horse back to where he was. Hes clearly thinking about getting the horse to run his best race on Derby Day and I think hes doing everything right. At this point, I believe hes the most likely winner of the Derby.
Everybody gets excited about races in February, and Derbys are not won in February. I think a lot of trainers these days are essentially manufacturing patterns, whether its the influence of speed sheets or not. Todd Pletcher seems to think that way, and Asmussen clearly thinks that way. Whether or not theyre looking at our data or Ragozins, theyre thinking in terms of a pattern.
Asmussens pattern appears to have Pyro improving speed-wise every race without making a huge leap too soon and then having to resort to what Denis of Corks connections were forced to do, which is skip a scheduled race to await a later race, all because the horse made a big jump from a 6 3/4 to a 1/4.
Garrett Gomez agent Ron Anderson, who follows the Ragozin figures, still fears Pyro and believes hes in a class by himself. The Derby is his race to lose, for me, he said. I think Asmussen is making all the right moves with him. Horses dont accelerate on the dirt like he did in the Risen Star (gr. III). That was breathtaking. When people tell me he didnt beat anything I just walk away. I think hes unbeatable. If he should draw a bad post and runs into four blind switches, and has everything go wrong, then he can get beat. But if he only runs into three blind switches hes still gonna win. I just think hes a better horse.
Pyro has been called by an opposing owner a physical monster, and you dont want a physical monster flexing his muscles and lifting his highest weight before the first Saturday in May. By prepping on Polytrack, often times a much slower surface than dirt, all Pyro has to do in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I) is pair up that 2, give or take a half a point, and that should set him up for his peak performance, returning to the dirt on May 3..
Yes, it all sounds so simple, but were just exploring another aspect of handicapping the Derby before the major stakes begin next Saturday with the Florida Derby (gr. I). Thats when the regular season commences and we start separating the men from the boys, as they face stiffer competition and larger, deeper fields. Pyros detractors could prove to be correct, but at this point, he really hasnt done anything wrong and has far less question marks than any of the other Derby contenders.
Has the Cork already been popped?
The more one examines the last-minute decision to skip the Rebel Stakes with Denis of Cork to await the Wood Memorial three weeks later, the more it appears to be an act that defies all tradition. Yes, the times definitely are changing, and numbers and speed figures have superseded logic, common sense, and plain old horsemanship. Were now in an era where owners rely more and more on advisors, who tend to over-analyze and over-scrutinize. We cant say for certain that the decision is going to severely compromise the colts chances in the Derby. What we can say is that the decision puts a much heavier burden on the shoulders of Denis of Cork, who is going to have to single-handedly rewrite the book on Derby preparation. If he is unable to, you cannot go back and start over.
We know owner William K. Warren to be a classy guy who loves the sport, and were sure he believes hes doing the right thing, and maybe he is. But now we learn that jockey Robby Albarado, who rode Denis of Cork to victory in the Southwest Stakes (gr. III), has elected to ride Country Star in a one-shot deal in the Ashland Stakes (gr. I) rather than ride a horse who is one of the favorites for the Kentucky Derby. Can anyone recall such a move?
So, Denis of Cork loses the benefit of a valuable prep race and his rider in the span of one week. All of a sudden the firm rope the colt was using to scale racings highest mountain has started to unravel.
At this point, there is no right or wrong. How the colt does in the Derby will determine which one applies here. The only question that exists is, can Denis of Cork go into the Derby off only one race in 11 weeks and only four career starts and accomplish something that hasnt been done in 90 years?
With his talent, maybe he can, but if he cant then Warren and whoever is advising him will have to wonder what might have been had they left the natural order of things alone.
Adriano joins the Poly party
Although Saturdays Lanes End Stakes (gr. II) packed a purse of $500,000 and provided one lucky horse with a guaranteed starting berth in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), most everyone was aware before the race that it would likely result in more questions than answers, regardless of the outcome.
It wasnt so much that it was run on Polytrack (remember Hard Spun and Street Sense last year), it was that the field was made up predominantly of horses who had excelled on synthetic surfaces or grass and had not fared nearly as well on dirt. The only graded stakes winner on any surface in the field of 12 was the dead-heat winner of the grade III Delta Jackpot at Delta Downs on dirt. The other stakes winners had scored victories in the Swynford Stakes and Ocala Breeders Sales Championship on Polytrack and the King Cugat on turf. So, this certainly didnt look like a major thoroughfare on the road to the Derby.
As it turned out, the Lanes End Stakes was what it was -- a decent field that did not answer a single question regarding the Derby. The main question surrounded the impressive winner, Adriano, who has looked like a world beater on grass and Polytrack, but who was a major bust in his only appearance on dirt.
So, is this son of A.P. Indy a legitimate Derby contender or just a turf/Poltrack specialist? Who knows? That is the recurring theme of this years Kentucky Derby, as it will be in Derbys to come. Then you have the runner-up, Halo Najib, who was 2-for-2 on synthetic surfaces and 0-for-4 on dirt, and third-place finisher, Medjool, who has never seen a dirt track in life. The son of Derby winner Monarchos broke from post 12 and raced extremely wide every step of the way, suggesting big things to come.
But the winner was much the best, opening a clear lead on the turn and winning under wraps by 2 1/2 lengths with a final eighth in :12 2/5. Had this race been on dirt, hed certainly make a huge leap up most everyones Derby lists. From a visual standpoint, he appears to be a horse who has the looks, the pedigree, and the action to be a serious Derby contender. Off the Lanes End, it would be difficult to deny him a chance at the Derby, but they will be gambling heavily that his one dismal race on dirt was an aberration. There has been talk of running him in the Coolmore Lexington Stakes (gr. II), but that wont tell us any more than we already know.
The two other stakes over the weekend, the Rushaway Stakes at Turfway, won by Big Glen, and the Private Terms Stakes at Laurel, won by Double or Nothing, should have no impact at all on the Derby picture.
Court is back in session
The Fountain of Youth (gr. II) seems like ages ago, and one of the horses in the race seems to have faded a bit in our memory. That is Court Vision, who, believe it or not, was our early top-ranked Derby horse prior to his third-place finish at Gulfstream off a three-month layoff. Now, as live Derby horses seem harder and harder to find, the vision of Court Vision as a major Derby contender seems to be returning sharper and clearer.
After all, he did run third, coming from a dozen lengths back in last on a track that was favoring speed. And he did have to go seven-wide at the top of the stretch. And he did draw clear of the rest of the horses, finishing 2 1/4 lengths ahead of the third-place finisher. By the time he leveled off and got in gear, Cool Coal Man and Elysium Fields were long gone. But because of how little running he actually did, combined with his average speed ratings and the fact that hell have only two starts before the Derby, he desperately needs a hard race in the Wood Memorial (gr. I).
This horse has proven to be tough and tenacious, and a relentless stretch runner who can overcome adversity. He showed that in his victories in the Iroquois (gr. III) and Remsen (gr. II) when he somehow was able to run down Halo Najib and Atoned, respectively, after appearing totally beaten.
He has the breeding and the 2-year-old foundation, and trainer Bill Mott says hes been more aggressive in his training and is improving steadily. When Anderson and Gomez decided to take the mount on Court Vision in the Wood Memorial rather than ride Colonel John in the Santa Anita Derby (gr. I) the same day it brought Court Vision back into full focus.
So, why did they choose Court Vision? He closed on a track that you cant really be that far back on, its Bill Mott, hes won at Aqueduct, hes well seasoned, WinStar owns both horses, Colonel John has never run on dirt, and I think Kathy Walshs horse (Georgie Boy) is going be very tough in the Santa Anita Derby (gr. I), Anderson said. It wasnt an easy call, but I really like my horse.
As for his race in the Fountain of Youth, Anderson said, Garrett had it in his mind that if he let him run away from there early and he wound up going in the other direction at the end of the race, that would have been counter-productive for later on. He took probably a little more hold of him than he really wanted, because he hadnt been out, but he put in a wicked run for a little while and then flattened out a bit like he needed the race. Billy thinks hes coming on now, so thats where Im at.
Dont forget about Numaany
If next Saturdays UAE Derby (UAE-II) is going to have any Derby implications its going to be with Godolphins Etched and Numaany or American invader Massive Drama. Etched, a brilliant 2-year-old in the States who was fourth in the UAE Two Thousand Guineas (UAU-III) in his 3-year-old debut, is bred to be a miler and must prove that he wants to go farther. The same applies to Massive Drama, who was given over to Dale Romans in Zayat Stables 3-year-old shake up earlier this year. And then we come to Numaany, who looks to be the one legitimate Kentucky Derby hopeful in this race a horse who has the pedigree to run long and who looks to be coming around at the right time.
Many people remember Numaany for bolting in the stretch in a 1 1/8-mile maiden race at Aqueduct and somehow still winning by daylight in one of the most bizarre finishes youll ever see. Following an even fifth-place finish in the UAE Guineas at a distance shorter than his best, he stretched out to about 1 1/8 miles in the March 6 Mujahid Al Bastakiya and ran a terrific race to finish third, setting all the pace and battling hard the length of the stretch against two older horses from the Southern Hemisphere. Although he was in receipt of 13 pounds from the winner, Royal Vintage, who had finished second in the UAE Guineas, he did manage to improve seven lengths on the South African-bred. If he can lay off the pace, as hes done in the past, and finish well in the UAE Derby, he could be an exciting addition to the Kentucky Derby picture. Running against all those tough Southern Hemisphere horses, he doesnt have to win, just show enough improvement and be competitive again. If he should win or be right there, were looking at a live horse on Derby Day.
By A.P. Indy, out of the Nijinsky mare Munnaya, who in turn is out of an Alydar mare, Numaany certainly has the pedigree and is improving with each start. And more important, hes a good deal more professional than he was last year. If he does make it to the starting gate on May 3 he would give Godolphin their best chance ever in the Run for the Roses.
If Etched should win the UAE Derby impressively, which he is capable of, then he would be their most serious Derby contender. But his pedigree is not nearly as strong at 10 furlongs as Numannys.
Derby Belles are ringing
Rick Porter, who had a ball on the Triple Crown trail last year with the indefatigable Hard Spun, has nominated his brilliant filly Eight Belles to the Arkansas Derby (gr. II) as an alternative to the Fantasy Stakes (gr. II). Porter also said he is seriously considering putting up the late nomination fee for the Triple Crown, due March 29. So, that certainly whets ones appetite, especially after Rags to Riches historic conquest in last years Belmont Stakes (gr. I).
There is no doubt that Eight Belles is an exceptional filly following her runaway victories in an allowance race and the Martha Washington Stakes, followed by her first graded stakes victory in the Honeybee Stakes (gr. III), which she won much easier than the margin would suggest, while defeating two top-class fillies in the previously undefeated Pure Clan and three-time stakes winner Kadira.
While Eight Belles certainly looks capable enough of giving the boys a tussle, it must be noted that she has not been farther than 1 1/16 miles, and if youre a Beyer pundit, her figures have gone from a 100 to a 96 to a 91. But she did run the same time as the colts in the Rebel Stakes (gr. III) the day before, while winning eased up in a common gallop. It also should be pointed out that she is by Unbridled's Song and is inbred to Mr. Prospector and three times to Raise a Native.
There are plenty of Unbridleds Songs who have been tough, sound horses, such as Octave, but you always have to tread a little carefully when youre so heavily loaded with Raise a Native and Mr. Prospector. As of now, Eight Belles, with eight starts at distances ranging from 5 1/2 furlongs to 1 1/16 miles, looks to be a brilliant and sound filly.
If the Derby is being seriously considered, one would think the Arkansas Derby would be the way to go rather than have her stretch out from another 1 1/16-mile race to 1 1/4 miles. Also, running in a big field against the boys would give her a taste of what shed be facing on Derby Day. Its just a question of how Porter and trainer Larry Jones feel about running her back in three weeks. Whatever their decision, Eight Belles will spice up either the Derby or the Oaks, and her future is limitless right now.
In other Derby news:
Elysium Fields (six furlongs in 1:12) and Big Brown (five furlongs in a bullet 1:00 2/5) both are sharp for Saturdays Florida Derby (gr. I). Colonel John worked five furlongs in :59 3/5 for the Santa Anita Derby (gr. I). Also keeping sharp for the Santa Anita Derby was El Gato Malo, who drilled seven furlongs in 1:24 3/5, which should put a little more bottom into him. Denis of Cork continues to train well, breezing five furlongs in 1:00 4/5 at Fair Grounds.
Have there ever been three more intriguing and unusual horses in a grade I Derby prep than Peruvian superstar Tomcito and the spectacular, but untested, allowance winners Big Brown and Hey Byrn? With other intriguing unknowns in the field such as Face the Cat, the Florida Derby should provide plenty of fireworks.
Quote of the week: In a Q&A in the New York Post, famed basketball coach Rick Pitino, who campaigned Kentucky Derby starter A P Valentine, was asked: What would it mean to have one of your horses win a Kentucky Derby? Pitinos answer: It wouldnt be that big a deal to me. Its just a hobby, its a fun thing.
Using the leeward side of the viewing stand that overlooks the Payson Park training track to brace himself against brisk winds and 53-degree temperatures, the horseman stood trackside beneath a high sky awaiting the final horse in his second set of the morning to come into view.
On foot or astride his pony, Bill Mott never takes his eyes off the prize.
Extending my hand, I gave my standard wiseguy greeting to anyone who hadnt returned a recent phone call. You must have me on your pay-no-mind list.
Ive been a little busy, said the youngest trainer ever inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame, now moving away from the concrete windbreaker and ducking under the outside rail onto the Payson surface, stopwatch in right hand.
Almost at once, a gorgeous, long-striding chestnut came flying into view. Here comes a horse that won the Sunshine Millions and finished second in the Big Cap, the trainer said.
Go Between? After Mott nodded yes, what I left unsaid was that Garrett Gomez gave him a brilliant ride in the Sunshine Classic, and that 5-1 was a square price.
In the next instant Mott was gone. Going back to the barn. Ive got one more set to go out. See you over there, he motioned, pointing in the direction of barn 3-B.
I climbed the steps of the viewing stand to get a better view of the deepish, one mile oval. I asked Shug McGaughey if the gloves he was wearing were for sale. He smiled to acknowledge the not so facetious question but clearly never entertained the notion.
We chatted, lamenting the current quality of the day-to-day fare at Gulfstream Park. McGaughey worries that if present decline of top class racing at Gulfstream is allowed to continue another few years the track might never recover. His is not a minority view.
Returning to the stands leeward side where I first encountered Mott, Nick Caras and Humberto Chavez, both of the New York division of Race Track Chaplaincy of America, were informing horsemen there would be a worship service at 7:30 p.m. at the dorms by the basketball court.
Moving 20 feet in our direction, Christophe Clement walked over, extended a greeting, smiled, and said: This looks like a good place to be, a handicapper on one side and a chaplain on the other.
A regular kidder that Clement.
Back at Barn 3-B, Mott was making sure that Court Vision--a strong-finish Fountain of Youth third and who runs next in the Wood Memorial a week from Saturday--was comfortable, that the blanket was comfy snug but not too tight. I thought he ran good in the Fountain of Youth. He was just too far back at [for Gulfstream]. But if he wants to give us a reason to go to the Derby with a good chance, he needs to run a strong race in the Wood.
Majestic Warrior, who runs in Saturdays Florida Derby, is doing very well. On its face that would be trainer speak, but from Mott its high praise. He made a big move in [the Louisiana Derby], got something out of it, and came back good. The race took nothing out of him, didnt set him back.
Theres no added pressure on Mott or the horse even if Majestic Warrior was bred by George Steinbrenner, who retains a major interest in the colt. He would love to be in the [Derby], but not just to be in it.
When I ran Blue Burner, it was my choice. He was second in the Florida Derby and fourth in the Wood and thought he earned his chance. Well see where were at with [Majestic Warrior] on Saturday and go from there. Im still learning about him, still trying to figure him out.
In the stall directly adjacent to Majestic Warriors is Z Humor, Motts third Derby hopeful, who runs next in the Illinois Derby, same day as the Wood. His effort will determine his [Kentucky Derby] status. We need to see where he fits.
When conjuring up Bill Mott, what comes to mind is a deliberate demeanor that doesnt offer more than is asked, probably the South Dakota in him. His words are measured, as if carefully thought through the instant before speaking. He gives the impression of a man constantly playing a game of chess with himself.
Im sitting on some nice horses, Mott admitted. Ive been excited all winter. You get up in the morning thinking about what youre going to do that day. You need to do it right, and youve got to do it right for everybody. You have to figure out the best way to get them there.
Then he allowed himself this. Id just like to be on the lead at the eighth pole in the Derby. Then he threw his head back, and laughed.
Time for True Contenders to Emerge
If you havent settled on your Derby pick, you are not alone. Finding a legitimate contender has not been an easy task. I dont think weve seen a break-out performance for the sophomore class of 2008. The Triple Crown prep races to date have been mediocre at best, as shown by this years winners and their Beyer Speed Figures:
Crown of Thorns RB Lewis S: 93
Pyro Risen Star S: 89
Fierce Wind Sam Davis S: 89
Denis of Cork Southwest S: 96
Cool Coal Man Fountain of Youth: 98
Colonel John Sham S: 86
Pyro Louisiana Derby: 95
Visionaire Gotham S: 98
Big Truck Tampa Bay Derby: 93
Georgie Boy San Felipe S: 93
Sierra Sunset Rebel S: 99
Adrianno Lanes End S: 92
So far no runner has shown himself to be able to run a 100+ figure over a 2-turn route, almost a prerequisite to be a Derby contender worthy of serious consideration. The lack of a top performance is an oddity in 2008. With Crown of Thorns and Sierra Sunset off the trail, the remaining 9 names up there may be the current top contenders, but they arent exactly going to scare anyone away on Derby day.
In most years, spotting the Derby contenders is a different exercise. By this point in the chase, there have usually been a number of brilliant performances at a mile or a mile and a 1/16th. Yet despite running 3-digit Beyer Speed figures at shorter distances, most of these precocious runners find themselves tested at 1 1/8th, and prove out of their element trying 1 1/4 miles on the first Saturday in May. This year there havent been any brilliant efforts to ponder. Adriannos Lanes End win looked awfully solid, and as a son of A P Indy, he looked positioned to be a perfect Derby contender. But by the Monday after the race, two things came to light: The race was slow (92) and his trainer, Graham Motion, considers the horse very unlikely for the Derby. If the trainer doesnt believe, neither should you. So historically speaking, not a single 2008 prep would be considered an above average race (Sorry, Pyro fans).
So the best thing to do is ignore what youve seen so far and expect that the best is still to come. The remaining key races are:
March 29th Florida Derby
April 5th Wood Memorial
April 5th Santa Anita Derby
April 5th Illinois Derby
April 12th Arkansas Derby
April 12th Blue Grass Stakes
April 19th Lexington Stakes
Winning or gaining in the stretch of its final 1 1/8th prep is a key indicator of a horses Derby merit. Big Brown will get a lot of play in the Florida Derby this Saturday. His 104 speed figure in his most recent start going 1 1/8th at Gulfstream Park makes him look like a standout. But before you take short odds, remember that the horse earned his speed figure in an off-the-turf allowance beating just 4 other horses. Expect both Fierce Wind and Elysium Fields to put in a good showing. But if these runners cant raise their game to the next level, they will not be a factor on Derby day even if they do win in Florida.
Corey Nakatani and Colonel John will reunite in the Santa Anita Derby on April 5. After two wins and a second in three races together last year, the pair was separated for the Grade III Sham Stakes on March 1 while Nakatani was recovering from a fractured right collarbone.
Garrett Gomez rode Colonel John to a half-length victory in the Sham, but Gomez committed to Court Vision in the Wood at Aqueduct, leaving the door open for Nakatani and Colonel Johns reunion under the leadership of trainer Eion Harty.
Eoin knows what I think of the horse, said Nakatani. He knows I have the utmost confidence in Colonel John going into the Triple Crown races. I know how far hes developed, and where hes at. I thought he was probably at 80 percent in the Sham, so he should move forward in the Santa Anita Derby.
Eoin probably was on the same page as me going into the Sham, and then I got hurt. Fortunately, I got him back, and Im looking forward to the Santa Anita Derby and the Triple Crown races.
Nakatani, 37, remains hopeful he will one day win the Santa Anita Derby and the Kentucky Derby. He's winless in 12 tries in the Santa Anita Derby and has never won the Kentucky Derby, also in 12 attempts.
Those are two goals I have to accomplish, he said. Im still young and Ive got a long way to go.
SHOCK METER
People understandably are still talking about War Pass shocking loss as a 1-20 favorite in the Grade III Tampa Bay Derby on March 15. Its one thing for such a heavy favorite to lose. Its quite another for a favorite like that to lose by 23 1/4 lengths.
This certainly must rank high on the Kentucky Derby Prep Shock Meter. But is this the biggest shock in, say, the last 40 years? Let me be clear. Im not talking about a shock in terms of an upset winner, such as when Brians Time won the 1988 Florida Derby 67-1, or when Bull inthe Heather won the Florida Derby in 1993 at 60-1. Im taking about a shocking loss by a heavy favorite.
So here is my list of the Top 20 losses on the Kentucky Derby Prep Shock Meter in the last 40 years:
20. RISEN STAR, second in the 1988 Lecomte Handicap (3-10 entry in the wagering). Risen Star was coming off a 10-length allowance win in his 1988 debut. But in the Lecomte, he finished second when upset by Pastourelles. Risen Star went on to win three straight (taking the Derby Trial Handicap at the Fair Grounds, the Louisiana Derby at that track and the Lexington Stakes over Forty Niner at Keeneland) before finishing third behind Winning Colors and Forty Niner in the Kentucky Derby. Risen Star then took the Preakness Stakes and romped to a 14 3/4-length victory in the Belmont Stakes. The Lecomte was one of only three losses by Risen Star in 11 lifetime starts.
19. WINNING COLORS, second in the 1988 Las Virgenes Stakes (7-10). Because Winning Colors was a filly, it was not really realized at the time that this loss belonged on the Kentucky Derby Prep Shock Meter, or else this would rank higher. Winning Colors was three for three going into the Las Virgenes. She lost the Las Virgenes by a neck to Goodbye Halo. In the Santa Anita Oaks, Winning Colors won in isolated splendor by eight lengths, with Goodbye Halo third. Winning Colors then trounced males in the Santa Anita Derby, winning by 7 1/2 lengths. Four weeks later, she joined Regret and Genuine Risk as the only fillies to ever win the Kentucky Derby. Winning Colors was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2000.
18. HOLY BULL, sixth in the 1994 Fountain of Youth Stakes (6-5). Holy Bull was five for five going into this race, yet lost by 24 1/4 lengths. This would rank higher on the list if Holy Bull had been a shorter price in the wagering. Also, the shock value was mitigated by the strength of the field, which included Dehere, the Eclipse Award-winning 2-year-old male champion, and Go for Gin, 8 1/2-length winner of the Remsen Stakes at 2. Dehere and Go for Gin finished first and second, respectively, in the Fountain of Youth. But this still was a shocking loss for Holy Bull in the context that it would be one of his only two defeats in 15 starts until he was pulled up with an injury against Cigar in the 1995 Donn Handicap. Holy Bulls only other loss at 3 was when he finished 12th in the Kentucky Derby.
17. SWALE, third in the 1984 Fountain of Youth Stakes (2-5). Swale went into the Fountain of Youth with a four-race winning streak, having taken the Futurity at Belmont, Breeders Futurity at Keeneland, Young America Stakes at the Meadowlands and Hutcheson Stakes at Gulfstream Park. But in the Fountain of Youth, Swale finished third behind Darn That Alarm and Counterfeit Money.
16. AFLEET ALEX, sixth in the 2005 Rebel Stakes (7-10). Afleet Alex had finished first or second in all seven of his starts going into the Rebel. In his 2005 debut, he had overcome trouble to win the Mountain Valley Stakes decisively by 2 3/4 lengths. So it was shocking to watch him struggle home in the Rebel. After the Rebel, trainer Tim Ritchey reported that Afleet Alex had come out of the race with a serious lung infection. The colt rebounded to take the Arkansas Derby by eight lengths. Afleet Alex then finished a close third in the Kentucky Derby before giving one of the greatest performances in Triple Crown history when he won the Preakness Stakes by almost five lengths despite clipping heels and stumbling badly coming into the stretch. He subsequently took the Belmont Stakes by seven lengths in what would be the final start of his career.
15. FORTY NINER, second in the 1988 Hutcheson Stakes (7-10). This was the 3-year-old debut for Forty Niner, who had been voted the Eclipse Award as champion 2-year-old following a campaign in which he won five of six starts. He had put together a four-race winning streak going into the Hutcheson, his initial start at 3. But in the Hutcheson, Forty Niner finished second, a length behind Perfect Spy. Perfect Spy would win only one other stakes race during his entire career, the Bay Shore. Forty Niner finished a fast-closing second in the Kentucky Derby, losing by a neck to Winning Colors.
14. SEEKING THE GOLD, second in the 1988 Gotham Stakes (3-5). Seeking the Gold was four for four going into this race. Racing for the powerful Ogden Phipps stable, the beautifully bred son of Mr. Prospector and a Buckpasser mare finished second to another undefeated colt, Private Terms, in the Gotham. Although Private Terms was five for five going into the Gotham, he was dismissed in the wagering at 11-1. Thats how strong Seeking the Gold looked, yet he got beat.
13. COPELAN, second in the 1983 Florida Derby (2-5). As a 2-year-old, Copelan won three Grade I races. In many cases, that would have been enough for him to be voted an Eclipse Award as champion 2-year-old male. But the Eclipse, appropriately, went to Roving Boy, who won the Del Mar Futurity, Norfolk Stakes and Hollywood Futurity. Copelan finished fifth in the Hollywood Futurity. However, Copelan had been struck in the eye during the race by a pebble or small clod and lost all chance, Joe Hirsch wrote of the Hollywood Futurity in the American Racing Manual. A son of Tri Jet and the great Susans Girl, Copelan went into the Florida Derby off a victory in the Fountain of Youth Stakes, his first race at 3. Heavily favored in the Florida Derby, Copelan finished second to California shipper Croeso, who paid $172 to win.
12. LORD AVIE, third in the 1981 Fountain of Youth Stakes (2-5). Lord Avie completed his 1980 campaign with consecutive victories in the Cowdin Stakes, Champagne Stakes and Young America Stakes en route to an Eclipse Award as champion 2-year-old male. After he won the Hutcheson Stakes in his 3-year-old debut, nearly everyone expected Lord Avie to win the Fountain of Youth. Hence, he was the 2-5 favorite. But he finished third, beaten by a nose and a head. Akureyr won, with Pleasant Colony second. Pleasant Colony would go on to win the Wood Memorial, Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes.
11. FLY SO FREE, second in the 1991 Blue Grass Stakes (3-10). Fly So Free took home the Eclipse Award as champion 2-year-old male of 1990 after winning the Champagne Stakes by 5 1/4 lengths and the Breeders Cup Juvenile by three lengths. He continued on a roll early at 3, reeling off victories in the Hutcheson Stakes, Fountain of Youth Stakes and Florida Derby. But his five-race winning streak came to an end when he finished second to Strike the Gold in the Blue Grass Stakes. In the Blue Grass, the Eclipse Award-winning Fly So Free lost to a colt still eligible to run in race restricted to non-winners of two races lifetime. But Strike the Gold did parlay his Blue Grass victory into a win in the Kentucky Derby, with Fly So Free fifth.
10. SILENT SCREEN, eighth in the 1970 Flamingo Stakes (3-5). Silent Screen finished second when unveiled at Saratoga at 2, then put together a six-race winning streak. Acclaimed the 2-year-old male champion of 1969, he punctuated his campaign that season with victories in the Arlington-Washington Futurity (the richest race in the nation at the time), Cowdin Stakes and Champagne Stakes. But Silent Screen ran a clunker in the Flamingo, finishing eighth, 12 lengths behind the winner, My Dad George. Silent Screen previously had defeated My Dad George, albeit by only a half-length, in an allowance race at Garden State Park at 2.
9. RIVA RIDGE, fourth in the 1972 Everglades Stakes (3-10). Riva Ridge, the Eclipse Award-winning 2-year-old male of 1972, took a six-race winning streak into the Everglades. He won those six races by margins ranging from 1 1/2 to 11 lengths. But in the Everglades, Riva Ridge finished fourth on a sloppy track. He rebounded to take the Blue Grass Stakes by four lengths and the Kentucky Derby by 3 1/4 lengths, but again finished fourth on a sloppy track in the Preakness Stakes. Back on dry land for the Belmont Stakes, Riva Ridge won by eight lengths. The following year, in one of his better performances, Riva Ridge ran second to stablemate Secretariat in the Marlboro Cup. Riva Ridge was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1998.
8. SWALE, second in the 1984 Lexington Stakes (1-10). After finishing third as a 2-5 favorite in the Fountain of Youth, Swale won the Florida Derby. When he then showed up for the Lexington, he was pounded down to 1-10 favoritism as he appeared to have his opponents at his mercy. But Swale a distant second to He Is a Great Deal, who splashed his way to an eight-length victory. A son of 1977 Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew, Swale would rebound to take the Kentucky Derby by 3 3/4 lengths. He finished seventh in the Preakness Stakes, then rolled to a four-length triumph in the Belmont Stakes prior to his shocking death a week later.
7. JOHANNESBURG, second in the 2002 Gladness Stakes (3-10). Johannesburg compiled a perfect record at 2 while winning in Ireland, England, France and the U.S. After taking the Breeders Cup Juvenile, he was voted the Eclipse Award as champion 2-year-old male. Johannesburg made his first start at 3 in the Group III Gladness Stakes in Ireland. He lost by a nose. Johannesburg also lost the final two starts of his career, finishing eighth in the Kentucky Derby and ninth in the Group I Golden Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot.
6. FAVORITE TRICK, third in the 1998 Arkansas Derby (2-5). Favorite Trick won all eight of his starts at 2 en route to being voted Eclipse Awards as champion 2-year-old male and Horse of the Year. He made it nine for nine by taking the Swale in his 3-year-old debut. But Favorite Trick failed to extend his undefeated streak to 10 in the Arkansas Derby, finishing third. Victory Gallop won the Arkansas Derby by a head, with Hanuman Highway second, a head in front of Favorite Trick. There were those not sold on Favorite Trick at that time. Nevertheless, a loss by an undefeated Horse of the Year after nine consecutive victories certainly must rank high on the Kentucky Derby Prep Shock Meter.
5. GENERAL ASSEMBLY, second in a 1979 Hialeah allowance race (1-10). As a son of Secretariat, much was expected from General Assembly, especially after he began his racing career with a win at Belmont Park. General Assembly made six starts at 2, with three wins and three seconds. At 2, he finished second twice to Sepctacular Bid. When General Assemby made his 3-year-old debut in an allowance race at Hialeah, most thought he was unbeatable, hence his 1-10 price. But General Assembly lost the seven-furlong affair by a head to Coup De Chance. General Assembly later ran second to Spectacular Bid in the Kentucky Derby and won the Travers Stakes by 15 lengths.
4. WAR PASS, seventh in the 2008 Tampa Bay Derby (1-20). Prior to the Tampa Bay Derby, some, including Andrew Beyer of The Washington Post, had compared War Pass with Seattle Slew. Considering where the Eclipse Award-winning 2-year-old male of 2007 finished at such a short price in the Tampa Bay Derby after winning all five of his previous races by a combined 22 lengths, a case can be made to put War Pass even higher on this list. But on my Kentucky Derby Prep Shock Meter, there are three that rank higher.
3. FOOLISH PLEASURE, third in the 1975 Florida Derby (1-5). Going into the Florida Derby, Foolish Pleasure looked invincible to most people. Voted the Eclipse Award as champion 2-year-old male of 1974, he was nine for nine going into the Florida Derby. But he did not emerge from the Florida Derby with his perfect record intact, having finished third behind Prince Thou Art and Sylvan Place. Foolish Pleasure had beaten Prince Thou Art by 1 3/4 lengths in the Flamingo four weeks before the Florida Derby. Following the Florida Derby, Foolish Pleasure regained his winning ways by taking the Wood Memorial and Kentucky Derby. Foolish Pleasure finished second in the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes before his match race with Ruffian in which the legendary filly broke down. Foolish Pleasure was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1995.
2. DEVILS BAG, fourth in the 1984 Flamingo Stakes (3-10). When Devils Bag, the Eclipse Award-winning 2-year-old male of 1983, went postward for the 1984 Flamingo, he did so with, I believe, more of an aura of invincibility than War Pass had going into the Tampa Bay Derby. Devils Bag was six for six going into the Flamingo, winning each of those races by at least three lengths. Devils Bag finished fourth (behind Time for a Change, Dr. Carter and Rexsons Hope) in the Flamingo. It would be the only blemish on his record. After the Flamingo, Devils Bag won an allowance race at Keeneland by 15 lengths and the Derby Trial at Churchill Downs by 2 1/4 lengths. He was retired from racing following the Derby Trial.
1. SECRETARIAT, third in the 1973 Wood Memorial (3-10 entry). Going into the Wood, Secretariat, the 1972 Horse of the Year as a 2-year-old, had finished first in 10 straight. But in the Wood, he ended up third, beaten by stablemate Angle Light and Santa Anita Derby winner Sham. That loss by Secretariat was a shocker at the time. But, looking back at it 35 years later, I find it even harder to believe. It proves that anything can happen in a horse race.
Prior to the Wood, I felt that Secretariat would win the Triple Crown. As the sports editor of my high school paper, I had written in my column on March 22, 1973: Going out on a limb and living dangerously, I daresay that 1973 will be a historic year as Secretariat will become the first Triple Crown winner since the great Citation in 1948.
This is what I wrote after the Wood: Secretariat lost, Angle Light did not win. That is the story of last Saturdays $100,000-added Wood Memorial at Aqueduct.
You cant throw out a horse because of one defeat. It takes more than that. A perfect example is last year when Riva Ridge lost the Everglades but came back strongly to take the Blue Grass Stakes, Kentucky Derby and grueling Belmont Stakes.
So Secretariat lost some of his pride in defeat. But hes still the one they have to beat May 5.
It later came to light that Secretariat was hurt -- literally --by a painful abscess in his mouth when he ran in the Wood. And they didnt beat him in the May 5 Kentucky Derby. They didnt beat him in the May 19 Preakness, either. And in the June 9 Belmont Stakes, Secretariat rose to the occasion and delivered probably the greatest performance in the history of American racing to sweep the Triple Crown on his way to another Horse of the Year title. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1974.
FLORIDA DERBY SATURDAY
This Saturdays Grade I Florida Derby is shaping up as quite an interesting race. It is expected to attract two 3-year-olds currently on my Kentucky Derby list, No. 4 Elysium Fields and No. 8 Big Brown.
Elysium Fields, who ran a big race in defeat when second to Cool Coal Man in the Grade II Fountain of Youth Stakes, worked five furlongs in 1:00 Tuesday at Gulfstream Park for trainer Barclay Tagg.
Meanwhile, Big Brown, undefeated and untested in two starts, drilled five furlongs in :59 2/5 Tuesday at Palm Meadows for trainer Rick Dutrow, who is exuding confidence in the colt going into Saturdays race.
Big Brown won his career debut by 11 1/4 lengths in a 1 1/16-mile grass race at Saratoga last Sept. 3 while posting a 90 Beyer Speed Figure for owner Paul Pompa Jr. and trainer Patrick Reynolds. The Boundary colt then registered a 12 3/4-length victory and earned a 104 Beyer in an off-the-turf allowance race at Gulfstream Park on March 5 in his first start after joining Dutrows barn due to IEAH Stables acquiring part ownership.
Dutrow said he got goose bumps when Big Brown drew away coming into the stretch on the dirt at Gulfstream. The colt was to have to run in the Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf at Monmouth Park last Oct. 26, but missed that race due to a quarter crack on his left front foot.
On Dec. 22, according to Dutrow, Big Brown, then a 2-year-old, worked so well in company with Diamond Stripes, then a 4-year-old, that he realized Big Brown could be something special. Diamond Stripes worked six furlongs at Palm Meadows in 1:13 3/5, with Big Brown clocked in 1:13 1/5. Diamond Stripes had won the Grade II Meadowlands Cup on Oct. 5.
However, after one more recorded work on Dec. 28, Big Brown again was sidelined by a quarter crack, this time on his right front foot. He did not go to the track once during January, Dutrow said during an NTRA teleconference Tuesday. That made the colts March 5 all the more impressive in Dutrows eyes.
Remember, at this time last year, Curlin likewise was just two for two. And while he was unable to snag the roses on the first Saturday in May, he did win the Arkansas Derby, Preakness Stakes, Jockey Club Gold Cup, Breeders Cup Classic and 2007 Horse of the Year title.
There is only one change on this weeks Kentucky Derby Top 10 list. Rebel Stakes winner Sierra Sunset, who debuted at No. 10 last week, drops off the list after being sidelined by a small fracture in his left front ankle, as reported by Daily Racing Forms Mary Rampellini. Taking Sierra Sunsets spot on the list is Court Vision, who was No. 1 early in the year before Pyro moved to the top after winning the Risen Star Stakes on Feb. 9.
Here is this weeks list:
1. Pyro
2. Denis of Cork
3. Cool Coal Man
4. Elysium Fields
5. Colonel John
6. El Gato Malo
7. Georgie Boy
8. Big Brown
9. Visionaire
10. Court Vision
I was told by a clocker that Georgie Boy work yesterday was almost the same time as El Gato Malo but the works wasn't even that close. Georgie Boy worked effortless and El Gato Malo was asked for his time in that work as he was ridden out to get the 1:12, as I stated before Georgie Boy is the class of Cali and he might not win the S.A. Derby but will be in the top 3. His running action reminds me of Barbora how he hits the ground so hard take a look at his prior races. The most sad thing is we have no idea how he will run over the dirt at C.H., I just hope Kathy Walsh will bring him in the Louisville for his final work or we will never know till the derby.
Pyro Breezes in Company at Keeneland. Pyro continued his preparations for the April 12 Grade I Toyota Blue Grass Stakes by working six furlongs in 1:14.60 (2/3), breezing, today at Keeneland.
Exercise rider Dominic Terry was aboard Pyro, who worked in company with stablemate Sonoma Cat. Pyros jockey, Shaun Bridgmohan, was on Sonoma Cat. The duo raced as a team, hitting the wire together with Pyro on the inside.
I got him galloping (seven furlongs) out in 1:27 3/5 and the last five-eighths in 1:00 4/5, said assistant trainer Scott Blasi, who supervised the move for trainer Steve Asmussen. Asmussen was in Dallas this morning.
Keeneland clockers caught the pair going 23 seconds flat for the final quarter; 11.20 for the last eighth.
It was Pyros second work at Keeneland since arriving from Louisiana. He worked five furlongs on his own in 1:02.40 on March 24. Pyro hasn't raced at Keeneland but trained there last fall before finishing second in the Breeders Cup Juvenile at Monmouth Park.
He looked great to me. I hadnt seen him in six weeks, said Blasi, who's been in Dubai with Curlin.
Sonoma Cat, a 4-year-old son of Storm Cat, was based at Fair Grounds with Pyro. He has a record of 5 1-2-2.
Also working for the Asmussen barn today was Vinery Stables and Fox Hill Farms Kodiak Kowboy, who worked a half-mile in :49.20 (14/29), breezing, in preparation for Sundays Lafayette Stakes.
Bob Black Jack to Toyota Blue Grass. In a rapidly-evolving and fluid runup to the Kentucky Derby, Bob Black Jack is out of consderation for the Grade II Arkansas Derby and will run in the Grade I Toyota Blue Grass Stakes instead, his trainer said today.
In order to get into an overflow field, the Arkansas Derby gives priority to horses based on earnings.
I cant get in the Arkansas Derby because we dont have enough money," trainer James Kasparoff said today. Were like 16th on the list of earnings. Theyre going to run 14 and Im 16th, and all those horses ahead of me intend to run, so it looks like hes just going to stay on the plane and go to Lexington instead.
On that plane will be Indian Sun and Gayego, who have more earnings than Bob Black Jack.
David Flores will retain the mount on Sunshine Millions Dash winner Bob Black Jack.
Court Vision Works at Payson. Trainer Bill Mott had Court Vision working today at Payson Park. He went a half-mile in :49.60 (2/8), breezing.
A winner of three of four starts as a two-year-old, including Aqueducts Grade II Remsen on Nov. 24, Court Vision is expected for Saturdays Grade I Wood Memorial. Court Vision exits a third-place finish in the Grade II Fountain of Youth, his only start this year.
Although Mott has a stable at Belmont Park, he is expected to ship Court Vision into Aqueduct on Thursday.
Wood Memorial Probables. The biggest and most intriguing name among the Woods prospects is War Pass. Last years Breeders Cup Juvenile champ turned in a clunker in the Grade III Tampa Bay Derby and quickly fell from grace on the trail to the Run for the Roses. Even so, the Nick Zito trainee could be the favorite.
Two others with enough graded stakes money to be assured a spot in the Derby starting gate, Court Vision and Tale of Ekati, will be there. Anak Nakal might have enough earnings, but plenty could happen to change that.
Texas Wildcatter, runner-up by a nose in the Grade III Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct; Giant Moon, last in the Gotham; Roman Emperor, fourth in the Wood, and late nominee Spurrier fill out the potential roster for the Wood.
Colonel John Works Strongly at SA. Grade III Sham Stakes winner Colonel John, one of the favorites for Saturdays Santa Anita Derby, worked six furlongs today in 1:10.80 (2/26), handily, at Santa Anita. Exercise rider Karine Lhuillier was up.
He worked super, said trainer Eoin Harty, just back from Dubai. He went five-eighths in :59 and two or three and couldnt have done it any easier.
Santa Anita Derby Probables. The prospective field is now at 10. Coast Guard, Joe Talamo; Colonel John, Corey Nakatani; El Gato Malo, David Flores; Meetingwithdestiny, no rider; On the Virg, no rider; Polonius, Victor Espinoza; Rosso Corsa, Richard Migliore; Shore Do, no rider; Signature Move, Michael Baze; and Yankee Bravo, Alex Solis.
The Santa Anita Derby will be televised live on NBC Saturday from 5:00 to 6:00 ET.
Visionaire Confirmed for Blue Grass. Trainer Michael Matz confirmed today that Visionaire, winner of the Grade III Gotham on March 8, will make his next start in the Blue Grass.
Matz had been considering shipping the Grand Slam colt to the Grade II Illinois Derby this Saturday. Visionaire arrived at Keeneland yesterday.
Obviously, I didnt want to face Pyro and Cool Coal Man, said Matz. My big worry was having an extra week before the Derby, and I wont get that now with going in the Blue Grass, but he wont have to ship up there (to Hawthorne) and back again. Hes going to stay here now until he is shipped up to Churchill.
Matz said Visionaire will work at Keeneland this week. Jockey Jose Lezcano will again be aboard Visionaire in the Toyota Blue Grass.
Visionaire faced Pyro for the first time on Feb. 9 in the Grade III Risen Star at Fair Grounds. Pyro won the race, with Visionaire running third
Matz currently has 24 horses at Keeneland, marking his largest string at the track to date. Street Sounds, whom he saddled to win the Grade II Stonerside Beaumont during the 2007 Spring Meet, is being pointed to the Grade II Vinery Madison on April 9 for her four-year-old debut. Bee Charmer, who finished second in Keenelands Grade III Sycamore last October, could start in the closing-day Grade II Fifth Third Elkhorn on April 25. Matz said he didnt know whether Chelokee, who won his 2008 debut on March 29 at Gulfstream, would start at Keeneland during the Spring Meet.
Ten Late-Nominated to Triple Crown. Ten new runners, eight males and two females, were late-nominated to the 2008 Triple Crown. The 10 late nominees ran the overall total for this years Triple Crown races to 459, one below the record of 460 set in 2007.
With 449 early nominees at a fee of $600 per horse and 10 late ones at $6,000 per, total Triple Crown nomination fees amount to $329,400. That will be split three ways between Churchill Downs, Pimlico and Belmont Park for distribution in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes.
Late nominations closed Saturday, the same day as the Grade I Florida Derby.
The late nominees are:
Barrier Reef, owned by Godolphin Racing and trained by Saeed bin Suroor.
BIG GLEN, owned by John T.L. Jones and trained by Frank Brothers.
HEY BYRN, owned by Bernard and Bea Oxenberg and trained by Eddie Plesa Jr.
JAZZ IN THE PARK, from James Metzgers Russata Stable and trained by Bobby Barnett.
KINSALE KING, owned by Super Horse Inc. and trained by Jesse Mendoza.
My Pal Charlie , owned by B. Wayne Hughes and trained by Albert Stall Jr.
ROSSO CORSA, owned by Charlotte Wrather and trained by Darrell Vienna.
SPURRIER, owned by Peachtree Stable and trained by Todd Pletcher.
EIGHT BELLES, owned by Fox Hill Farm and trained by J. Larry Jones.
PROUD SPELL, owned by Brereton Jones and trained by J. Larry Jones.
Wood Field Expanding. According to New York Racing Association Stakes Coordinator Andrew Byrnes, the prospective field for Saturdays Grade 1 Wood Memorial is increasing. Entries close tomorrow.
Previously confirmed are War Pass, last years juvenile champion (trainer Nick Zito; jockey Cornelio Velasquez); Grade II Remsen winner Court Vision (Bill Mott; Garrett Gomez); Anak Nakal (Zito; Alan Garcia); Giant Moon (Richard Schosberg; Jorge Chavez); Roman Emperor(Steve Klesaris; Jeremy Rose); Spurrier (Todd Pletcher; Stewart Elliott); Tale of Ekati (Barclay Tagg; Edgar Prado), and Texas Wildcatter (Pletcher, TBA).
New shooters are Inner Light (Mott, C.C. Lopez), who will be coupled with Court Vision, and possibly First Commandment and Gattopardo.
Mott Says Court Vision Heading in Right Direction. Mott said he believes he has two horses heading in the right direction, Court Vision and Inner Light.
Court Vision, a son of 1987 Wood Memorial winner Gulch, closed out a 3-for-4 two-year-old season by winning the Grade II, nine-furlong Remsen by a neck over Atoned, who goes in the Grade II Illinois Derby on Saturday. In his only start of 2008, Court Vision was a distant third behind Cool Coal Man and Elysium Fields in Gulfstream Parks Grade II Fountain of Youth on Feb. 24.
It was his first race back and he ran well, considering he was on a speed-favoring racetrack, Mott said. He was pretty far back, and he wasnt going to make up any kind of ground on that track. Still, he was the only one running at the end and he has been doing very well ever since.
Inner Light, who like Court Vision is owned by IEAH Stable and WinStar Farm, is a son of Songandaprayer. He won a one-mile Gulfstream Park allowance on March 7 and could possibly help establish some pace in the Wood for Court Vision.
Weve kind of looked at the Wood for awhile for Inner Light, and we decided to give him a chance to play the game. Hes always been overanxious, but he seemed to settle much better in his last race. Will he handle two turns? We dont know for sure, but he seems he is heading in the right direction.
Court Vision and Inner Light will ship from Florida to Aqueduct tomorrow. Mott has a stable at Belmont Park.
It didnt make much sense to ship to Belmont Park and then ship again for the Wood, Mott said. This way, they ship in and stay for the race.
Tagg Pleased with Tale of Ekati. Trainer Barclay Tagg said he was pleased with Tale of Ekatis half-mile gate work of :47.40 (1/14), handily, at Palm Meadows yesterday. The Tale of the Cat colt will ship to Aqueduct Thursday with Court Vision.
Tale of Ekati, last years Grade I Belmont Futurity winner, has only made one start in 2008, and that resulted in a sixth-place finish behind Pyro in the March 8 Louisiana Derby after a poor break from the gate.
He ran all right, Tagg said of the colts effort in New Orleans. The assistant starter had his head turned sideways at the start, so he got away from the gate bad and that ruined his chances.
Edgar Prado has the mount on Tale of Ekati in the Wood.
First Commandment: 3-Year-Olds Unpredictable. First Commandment trainer Carlos Martin says that he is 50-50 about running in the Wood Memorial. A son of 1997 Travers winner Deputy Commander, First Commandment has only had three career starts, all on Aqueducts inner track. He lost his debut race in the mud but won his next two races.
I nominated him to the Wood Memorial because this has become a very unpredictable year for three-year-olds, Martin said. We all know that War Pass is a terrific horse, but his race at Tampa Bay is a puzzle. Take of Ekati didnt run so well off the layoff.
This is one of these situations where you take a shot and if it works out, you look like a genius. We know we are taking a big step with a New York-bred, but like I said, this has been a year when good 3-year-olds suddenly are not running their races.
War Pass could get on the lead and not look back, but he could also run a race like he did at Tampa Bay. You just dont know. I know that First Commandment can get a mile and an eighth, and that is still a question with some horses. We have some time. Ill probably bring him to the (Belmont Park) training track on Thursday, ask him to pick it up on the backside and see where his energy level is at.
Big Truck to Keeneland. Trainer Barclay Tagg was at Keeneland this morning to oversee the arrival of horses that will be under his care in Barn 37. Included in the arrivals was Eric Feins Big Truck, winner of the Grade III Tampa Bay Derby in his most recent start on March 15.
Tagg had previously laid out three options for Big Trucks next start, one of which was the Grade III Holy Bull at Gulfstream Park. With that option eliminated now, the remaining next-race choices are the Grade I Toyota Blue Grass and the Kentucky Derby.
Pyro Watch. Pyro was on the track at Keeneland this morning and galloped a mile under exercise rider Dominic Terry. Pyro had worked Monday at Keeneland and walked the shedrow on Tuesday.
Kentucky Bear in Blue Grass. Bear Stables Kentucky Bear, unraced since a seventh-place finish in the Feb. 24 Grade II Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park, arrived at Keeneland on yesterday to begin preparations for the Grade I Toyota Blue Grass Stakes on April 12.
Trainer Reade Baker said Jamie Theriot would have the mount on Kentucky Bear, who made his racing debut on Jan. 21 with a 6 1/2-length victory going a mile at Gulfstream Park.
Baker said the son of Mr. Greeley would work Sunday, Monday or Tuesday for the Blue Grass. Kentucky Bear has had three works at Palm Meadows since the Fountain of Youth, the most recent being a bullet, five-eighths move in :59.00 (1/20) on March 31.
Kentucky Bear jogged a mile today morning at Keeneland under exercise rider Cassie Garcia.
Unofficial probables for the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes are Cool Coal Man, Cowboy Cal, Kentucky Bear, Pyro, and Visionaire.
from synthetic tracks to Kentucky's dirt
By JEFF NAHILL - Staff Writer | Saturday, April 5, 2008 5:21 PM PDT ∞
Post your Comments Increase Font Decrease Font email this story print this story The Kentucky Derby is the great American horse race.
You can have the Breeders' Cup, the Preakness and Belmont Stakes, or any other race you want to name.
Everyone in the thoroughbred industry wants to win one race on the first Saturday of May.
This year, West Coast interests are trying a new path. This is the first time all of the major Kentucky Derby preps in California are on synthetic tracks.
Will East Coast, Midwest and Southern interests have an edge on May 3 because their horses have been running on dirt tracks like the one at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.? That is a major question for Saturday's Santa Anita Derby, the West Coast's last major prep race for the Kentucky Derby. Featuring 3-year-olds running 1 1/8 mile, the race from Santa Anita Park will be televised at 2 p.m. by NBC.
Oceanside's Jeff Bloom, vice president of West Coast operations for West Point Thoroughbreds, which entered El Gato Malo in Saturday's race, isn't worried "even a little bit" about the transition from synthetic to dirt should his horse make it to Louisville.
"I've always been of the opinion that good horses will run on any surface and overcome issues related to the track itself," Bloom said this week.
El Gato Malo, who is second on the morning line (5-2) to Colonel John (2-1), has won races at Hollywood Park (Cushion Track), Golden Gate Fields (Tapeta) and Santa Anita (Cushion Track). All are synthetic.
"This horse has shown he'll run on any surface already," Bloom said. "He trained extensively at San Luis Rey Downs (in Bonsall as a 2-year-old), which is a dirt surface, and had his initial workouts over that surface and he glided over it.
"There's a few unknowns (with running on dirt), but I always go back to a good horse will run through that stuff."
Craig Dollase, who trains El Gato Malo at Hollywood Park, believes he has the advantage of not having to worry about weather or track conditions.
"I had no hiccups along the way at all," Dollase said. "I'm a big fan of synthetic tracks, and whatever it takes to keep my horse sound and happy, that's where I'm going to be ...
"The horses tend to get a lot of fitness off these tracks. And I know because when Hollywood Park went ahead (last year) and put the synthetic track in, I think Santa Anita at the time had their dirt track in and I was running horses across town (from Hollywood Park), training them synthetic and running over there, and did very, very well."
Eoin Harty, the trainer of Colonel John, is in the same camp as Dollase. He believes the fitness gained on synthetic tracks is so positive that it outweighs any negatives to not having run on dirt before the Kentucky Derby.
"Sure, it's an unknown," Harty said, "but (Colonel John) moves well over Santa Anita and Hollywood Park. He has a fluid action. I think he can handle any surface out there."
But Harty, who was trainer Bob Baffert's assistant during the glory days of Silver Charm and Real Quiet, admits that he might send Colonel John to Churchill Downs some two weeks before the race to acclimate him to the new surface.
"Just to (put aside any fears) on my own behalf or on the part of the general public (that he can't handle the dirt)," said Harty.
In the end, however, getting to the Kentucky Derby is a crapshoot. It's just a little more so for West Coast connections.
"(Synthetic tracks), to me, is a very controversial topic right now," said Robert LaPenta, the owner of 2-year-old champion War Pass, who will race Saturday on dirt in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct in New York. "Is it safer? Is it better? Is it changing the game? You know, we could probably spend five hours talking about that. So, I don't know what these (West Coast) horses are going to do."
Ky. Derby Trail: Tale of the Colonel
by Steve Haskin
Updated: April 7, 2008
Well, were down to our final two major preps, the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I) and Arkansas Derby (gr. II), with the Coolmore Lexington Stakes (gr. II) and Holy Bull Stakes (gr. III) thrown in for good measure. The question right now is: what did we learn from last Saturdays preps?
We learned that Colonel John is the undisputed king of the California 3-year-olds. We learned that Tale of Ekati and War Pass have righted their wrongs and are back on firm ground on the Derby trail. And we learned that the Illinois Derby (gr. II) once again produced a clear-cut winner who earned the usual high Beyer Speed Figure and closed his final eighth of a mile in fast time.
Unfortunately, we also learned that Denis of Cork, through no fault of his own or trainer David Carroll, became totally disoriented on the road to Louisville and, sadly, lost his way. It proves once again that when you hire a captain, you let him steer the ship.
But with every cloud comes a silver lining, or so they say. With the Denis of Cork cloud comes a much welcome return to Churchill Downs of Louie Roussel and Ronnie Lamarque, who have stirred the Derby pot twice before with Risen Star in 1988 and Kandaly in 1994. With their colt Recapturetheglory commemorating the 20th anniversary of Risen Stars Triple Crown adventures with a runaway victory in the Illinois Derby, we can now look forward to more fun and frivolity such as Louie and Ronnies New Orleans Crawfish Bash, which they held for the media on the clubhouse turn in 94; and, of course, Ronnies studio-recorded songs about his horses can anyone forget Go, Kandaly, Go sung to the tune of Do Wah Diddy?
The star of the weekend definitely was Santa Anita Derby (gr. I) winner Colonel John, who, despite racing exclusively on a synthetic surface, looks as solid a Derby horse as weve seen this year. Forgetting for a minute about his having to make the transition to dirt and having only two Derby preps (something he shares with a number of top contenders this year), he has all the tools you look for in a classic horse the stamina, the build, the toughness, the consistency, the closing kick, the temperament, and the connections. And as for having only two starts, that is misleading, as he ran Dec. 22 in the CashCall Futurity (gr. I). Add to that, both his starts this year were gut-checks, which he passed against fast, talented horses, assuring that he will have sufficient bottom and will be battle-tested.
The Santa Anita Derby was not an easy race to watch if youre a Colonel John fan, especially when El Gato Malo went flying by him on the far turn, and then On the Virg passed him, putting him in ninth nearing the head of the stretch. One flaw he does have is that, with his big stride, it takes him a while to get in high gear. Another flaw, which he and jockey Corey Nakatani will have to work out, could be seen distinctly in the upper stretch. When Nakatani hit him numerous times left-handed, Colonel John drifted out and didnt appear to be going anywhere. Then, when Nakatani switched and hit him right-handed, he took off in a flash, lengthening his stride noticeably, and it was that quick final surge that got him the victory.
With all that, he still managed to come home his final three-eighths in a sensational :35 1/5 (:23 1/5 and :12). Nakatani, apparently sensing that Colonel John had done his only serious running in the final sixteenth, wanted him to keep going and gallop out strong. He waved the whip at him crossing the wire, and then gave him a tap on the shoulder with the handle of the whip before pulling on his left rein and snapping the right rein against the colts shoulder. As a result, Colonel John was able to run through the wire and continue on at a decent clip without easing to the outside, as many horses will do when galloping out. It was a clever move by Nakatani, who has to make sure the colt doesnt put himself in that position again in the Derby. Hell have to quicken earlier, and cant afford to let horses whiz by him at the three-eighths pole. Thats how you become swallowed up by the cavalry charge. And drifting out the way he did after turning for home is a no-no, so one would think well see more right-handed whipping than left next time.
Bob Black Jack continues to improve the farther he goes, which is contrary to what most people thought would happen. The Cal-bred is fast, can rate going two turns, and can finish, which makes him a dangerous opponent. But he drifted in and out much more noticeably than did Colonel John. He was all over the track, which makes those final fractions hard to believe. Is this some Cushion Track/Pro Ride phenomenon, or are these two horses, and the pacesetting Coast Guard, really such strong closers?
Yankee Bravo saved ground all the way and had every shot to win in the stretch, but ran a bit flat in the final furlong to finish fourth, beaten four lengths. El Gato Malo looked awesome blowing by horses on the far turn, but couldnt sustain his move, finishing fifth. The closest he got to Colonel John was when the winner drifted right across his path.
Diamonds and roses
Imagine at the end of last year, you were told that the Wood Memorial (gr. I) would have among its starters the winners of the grade I Bessemer Trust Breeders Cup Juvenile and Champagne Stakes and the grade II Kentucky Jockey Club, Remsen, and Futurity Stakes. You no doubt would have been salivating at such a prospect.
Then imagine you were told that the winners of those races War Pass, Court Vision, Anak Nakal, and Tale of Ekati would go into the Wood having been beaten an average of 12 lengths in their previous start, with three of them finishing sixth or worse.
Well, thats just what happened. Following an unpredictable turn of events this winter, the Wood, normally a match-up of leading Derby contenders, became mostly a means of redemption.
And in the end, all were redeemed, to some degree, as Tale of Ekati, War Pass, and Court Vision finished first, second, and third, respectively, with even Anak Nakal showing improvement, finishing fifth, beaten only 3 1/2 lengths, after two dismal performances.
Much to Tale of Ekati's credit, he put himself in position to be the first one to pick up the pieces after War Pass hit the proverbial brick wall nearing the eighth pole. But because he tried so hard to run through that wall after being hounded by a rabbit for the first five-eighths of a mile, War Pass received as many accolades as the winner.
Last years 2-year-old champion had much to prove after his shocking last-place finish at 1-20 in the March 15 Tampa Bay Derby (gr. III), in which he staggered home 23 lengths behind Taggs victorious Big Truck. No concrete explanation for his performance was ever found, and no one had a clue what to expect from him in the Wood.
Because of the red flares he had sent up at Tampa Bay, everyones eyebrows were raised when it was reported the colt needed three staples under his chin to close a wound suffered on the plane from Florida due to turbulence shortly before landing.
Owner Robert LaPenta was more concerned about seeing his champion restore his tarnished reputation, so he could officially put a line through the Tampa Bay Derby and chalk it up as an aberration.
Ive slept about a total of an hour and a half this week, LaPenta said in the paddock before the race. He looks good and acts well, but no one knows whats going to happen. Im more nervous now than I was before the Breeders Cup.
Trainer Nick Zito said he was Apprehensive, excited, happy, and cautious, which pretty much covered the gamut of emotions.
Then there was trainer Barclay Tagg, who also was seeking redemption for Tale of Ekati, who was named after the Ekati diamond mine that was discovered in Canadas Northwest Territory by the colts owner Charles Fipke. The son of Tale of the Cat Silence Beauty, by Sunday Silence had embarked on the Kentucky Derby trail with a great deal of promise after his scintillating victory in the Futurity Stakes, but he was scheduled to have only two starts leading up to the Run for the Roses, which meant there was no room for error. So, when his first race back -- the Louisiana Derby (gr. II) -- turned into a fiasco after a terrible start, it put Tagg, who won last years Wood with Nobiz Like Shobiz, and Tale of Ekati in a precarious position. The colt had to rebound with a big performance to even be considered for the Derby.
Tale of Ekati came up from Florida in resplendent condition, and was a standout in the paddock. Hes really doing well right now, Tagg said as he watched the colt on the walking ring. But you never know.
Bill Mott, trainer of Court Vision, was another who didnt know what to expect after his colts non-threatening rally from last to finish a distant third in the Fountain of Youth Stakes (gr. II). The son of Gulch also was scheduled to have only two starts prior to the Derby, and Mott knew the colt needed to be more competitive in the Wood if he was to be battle-tested enough to have any shot in the Derby. So, he reached into his hat and pulled out a rabbit named Inner Light, who was coming off a victory in a one-mile allowance race at Gulfstream, in which he tracked blistering fractions of :44 and 1:08 4/5 before drawing off to a two-length score. He, like Court Vision, is owned by WinStar Farm and IEAH Stables, so it was a team decision to use the colt as a sacrificial lamb.
The stage was set for a wild Wood, in which all the top names were treading on unsteady ground. Those who slipped, even a little, would be munching on hay in their stall at six oclock on May 3.
If there was one thing that was certain, it was that Cornelio Velasquez would be gunning War Pass out of the five-post in the nine-horse field (First Commandment was a late vet scratch). Although Mott had given the usual pre-race quotes about how they wanted to test Inner Light around two turns, it was pretty obvious to everyone that the colt was on a kamikaze mission. Breaking from post eight, he would hone right in on LaPentas maroon silks.
When the gates opened, War Pass broke just a bit sluggishly and Velasquez pushed him to the lead as if he were in a sprint race. Then, to no ones surprise, there was Inner Light charging after him from the outside. After the opening quarter in a scorching :22 2/5 over a heavy, drying out track that was listed as fast, War Pass had Inner Light latched on to him like a suckerfish attached to a shark. The pair had already opened up six lengths on Tale of Ekati in third. With a half in a testing :46 flat, War Pass was pretty much cooked at that point. By comparison, top-class older horses in the Excelsior Handicap (gr. III) went their half in :48 2/5, a difference of 12 lengths.
War Pass finally shook free from Inner Light, who would be beaten more than 40 lengths, but he still was rolling through three-quarters in 1:11 2/5, compared to 1:13 3/5 in the Excelsior. The champ, despite a few awkward strides, took a clear lead into the stretch after being brought several paths out by Velasquez, as instructed by Zito. But it was obvious at this point that he had little left and was crawling home (his final three-eighths in :40 4/5).
Tale of Ekati, under Edgar Prado, had never given up his pursuit and he began to close the gap from the inside. War Pass dug in and battled courageously, trying to hold off his pursuer, despite being on empty. But Tale of Ekati kept coming after him, with Court Vision, who had been as far back as 18 lengths, closing the gap, along with Giant Moon.
Tale of Ekati, himself a tired horse after running his half in :46 2/5, finally wore down War Pass in the closing strides to win by a half-length in 1:52 1/5 for the nine furlongs, with War Pass finishing 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Court Vision, who closed well, but had no real excuse after failing to take advantage of the setup his stablemate had provided for him.
After the race, LaPenta put it simply: "The rabbit did him in, but he ran a great race." Even Mott saluted War Pass. "He's a very game horse and he ran a big race, because we pushed him along pretty good."
So, did we see the Derby winner in the Wood? When horses close that slowly in their final Derby prep, its a good reason to throw them out. But the first three finishers all desperately needed this race to bounce back and get much-needed conditioning. They all should improve with this race under their belt, but can they improve enough to compete against the best 3-year-olds in a 20-horse field going a mile and a quarter? Lets just say its going to be a difficult assignment. Tale of Ekati and War Pass are brilliant colts with a great deal of talent, and theyll need all of it, especially War Pass, who will no doubt become embroiled at some point with Bob Black Jack, Recapturetheglory, and the indomitable Big Brown. But he showed in the Wood that anyone who wants to run with him will pay the price. There's a reason why he's a champion.
Court Vision needs to find some speed and quickness between now and the Derby, but he does have the stamina and the drive, and he does close consistently. With a track more to his liking he still could be a legitimate Derby contender. Anak Nakal made a wide, steady move, and although he was never a factor, he may have run well enough to punch his ticket to Louisville.
Return of the ragin Cajuns
Recapturetheglorys emphatic victory in the Illinois Derby at 15-1 was hard to predict by looking at the colts past performances. The son of Cherokee Run appeared to have some promise, but he had never run in a stakes and was coming off only one start this year a third-place finsh in a turf allowance race at Fair Grounds. His most impressive credential was having run second to Cool Coal Man in an allowance race at Churchill Downs in November.
Yet, there he was out on the lead, setting slow fractions, with no one other than Golden Spikes paying much attention to him. By the time they did it was way too late. With a final three-eighths in :36 1/5, he was gone, drawing off to a four-length victory over Golden Spikes in 1:49 flat.
Once again, for some reason, the Illinois Derby was an impressive race on paper, with the winner jumping from an 80 Beyer to a 102. But lets not forget Sweetnorthernsaints stalking 9 1/4-length romp and his 109 Beyer in 2006; or Greeleys Legacys stalking 9 1/2-length procession and 106 Beyer in 2005; or Pollards Visions wire-to-wire victory and his 107 Beyer in 2004; or Cowtown Cats front-running victory and 98 Beyer in 2007. While none of those horses even came close to winning the Derby, we do have to remember War Emblems 6 1/4-length, wire-to-wire score and 112 Beyer in 2002. But that was at Sportsmans Park. Hawthorne is a tricky surface that some horses love and others hate.
Recapturetheglory has a powerful stride and high kick, and he was really pouring it on in the final furlong, much like War Emblem did. That certainly is not meant to imply that this colt is in the same stratosphere as War Emblem, but there are some similarities.
As for Denis of Cork, he was on a perfect schedule heading into the Rebel, but instead was put in mothballs and allowed to rust for seven weeks. And all because of some obsession with speed figures. Trainer David Carroll had the colts winter and spring campaign all mapped out and then saw a big X drawn through it. He attempted to keep Denis of Cork on edge, but to be inactive for that long when youre primed for competition, and then forced to return over a quirky surface like Hawthorne, it was an invitation to disaster.
Denis of Cork never at any point looked like the colt who had won all three of his races, in which he showed speed, power, and guts. Going into the first turn, it was difficult to see what happened, but jockey Julien Leparoux, in between horses, went flying up in the air and completely lost his balance and rhythm on the colt. That didnt seem to affect the horse at all, but down the backstretch, it was obvious he was in trouble. He wasnt moving with any authority and began losing ground over a track where you needed to be right there turning for home. It was sad to see such a talented horse struggle home a non-threatening fifth.
Now its a question whether he will have enough earnings to get in the Derby if thats where they decide to go. He most likely will, but if several horses behind him run huge in the Arkansas Derby (including Carrolls Blackberry Road) and Blue Grass, it could knock him out. But does he even have a chance to win the Derby off this race? Normally, you would answer an emphatic no, but weve seen too many good horses bounce back from a clunker before the Derby, and the belief here is that this is a very good horse who just wasnt given the opportunity to show it.
Because of the costly decision to skip the Rebel, Denis of Cork lost one of the hottest jockeys in the country in Robby Albarado, is now in jeopardy of not getting in the Derby, and will have to go in the race off only four career starts (the last horse to win the Derby off four starts was 90 years ago). His connections were afraid hed "bounce" on the speed sheets in his next start. Well, he bounced all right, possibly right out of the Derby. Lets just hope Carroll can get him back on track and show everyone what hes capable of doing.
Atoned was a bit of a disappointment, especially with Denis of Cork not running his race, and he and runner-up Golden Spikes most likely will not have sufficient graded earnings to get in the Derby. Z Humor ran another steady, but unspectacular, race to finish third, and hes in the Derby earnings-wise if Zayat Stables wants to run all their horses who qualify. Their others are Halo Najib and Z Fortune, who needs a placing in the Arkansas Derby to make the field.
After succeeding in two of the worlds richest races with Curlin, trainer Steve Asmussen finds himself in the enviable position of shifting his attention to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) with Pyro.
Collecting the trophies for the Breeders Cup Classic Powered by Dodge (G1), Emirates Airline Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1), and Kentucky Derby would be a significant featno trainer has ever won all three races, let alone within a span of a little more than six months.
Its been pretty amazing, to have such fabulous horses, Asmussen said on Monday morning outside his barn at Keeneland Race Course, his grin widening with each word.
Curlin galloped on Monday, a day after arriving at Keeneland following a stopover at Belmont Park in his return from Dubai, where he joined Cigar, Pleasantly Perfect, and Invasor (Arg) as the only horses to win the worlds two most lucrative dirt races.
[Owner Jess Jackson] has to be commended for letting us continue to race him, to see how good he can be, Asmussen said. I think were headed in the right direction.
Asmussen is right where he hoped to be with Pyro when he outlined a plan to get the colt to the Kentucky Derby. Pyro figures to be a strong favorite for Saturdays Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G1) at Keeneland, after beginning his season with victories in the Risen Star Stakes (G3) and Louisiana Derby (G2) at Fair Grounds.
He ran solid last year and we gave him a little break over the winter, and I love how hes developed, Asmussen said. Hes a beautiful horse, and hes had two solid races in him this year. They arent brilliant, but theyre solid.
[Mentally], hes matured. I dont see a big change in him with the fact that hes simply older. Hes still physical, somewhat playful, but he understands racing better than he did last year.
Pyro breezed an easy four furlongs in :50.60 before daybreak on Monday at Keeneland. He has never raced on a Polytrack surface, but he trained at Keeneland last fall prior to his second-place finish to War Pass in the Bessemer Trust Breeders Cup Juvenile (G1).
The main thing is at this stage, you dont want to be watching The Weather Channel 24 hours a day, Asmussen said of the peace of mind that an all-weather surface provides.
Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) winner Cool Coal Man and Gotham Stakes (G3) winner Visionaire also are expected for the Blue Grass, along with Cowboy Cal, Halo Najib, Kentucky Bear, Medjool, and Miner's Claim.
Monba is under consideration for either the Blue Grass or the Coolmore Lexington Stakes (G2) on April 19 at Keeneland.
Trainer Barclay Tagg is leaning toward the Blue Grass with Tampa Bay Derby (G3) winner Big Truck, although the Lexington also is a possibility.
Tagg also is tentatively looking at the Lexington for Elysium Fields, who washed out severely before finishing 11th in the Florida Derby (G1) on March 29. He entered the Florida Derby off a strong runner-up finish in the Fountain of Youth. Both Big Truck and Elysium Fields are scheduled to breeze four furlongs on Tuesday at Keeneland.
Elysium Fields would need to hit the board in the Lexington to have enough graded stakes earnings to crack the Derby field, which is capped at 20 starters.
He needs money, Tagg said. He had a bad experience in the Florida Derby, and its messed me up. I dont know quite what to do with him. I think that a bad race is still a hard race. He might not have run as hard as if he had run the whole way, but he came out of it exhausted and on the verge of heat stroke. It was just a bad day.
Big Truck is on the bubble with $194,500 in graded stakes earnings.
I dont really need to run him again, but I might have to to get in, Tagg said. Id really like to run him in the Derby because hes got a tremendous amount of stamina.
Tale of Ekati joined Taggs string at Keeneland following his win in the Wood Memorial Stakes (G1) on April 5 at Aqueduct. The Tale of the Cat colt rebounded from a sixth-place finish in the Louisiana Derby that Tagg attributes mostly to a slow start.
The guy was jerking him around in the [gate] and he just got away bad, he said. He has a habit of getting away bad, so we worked on that a little bit, and we came back and he broke well enough the other day and made up for it. I guess he got enough out of the Louisiana Derby and it set him up for the Wood. He got a lot out of [the Wood]. He dug in pretty well.
War Pass and Court Vision, the second- and third-place finishers, respectively, in the Wood Memorial, will likely proceed with Tale of Ekati to the Kentucky Derby.
Trainer Eoin Harty said he will ship Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner Colonel John to Churchill Downs sometime between April 20 and April 22, which would give the Tiznow colt at least ten days to train on the dirt surface prior to the Derby on May 3. Colonel John has never raced on a conventional dirt track.
Bob Black Jack, the runner-up in the Santa Anita Derby, also will be considered for the Kentucky Derby.
Recapturetheglory will move on to Churchill after his upset win on the front end in the Illinois Derby (G2). Trainer Louie Roussel III owns Recapturetheglory in partnership with Ronald Lemarque. Roussel named the Cherokee Run in reference to their success with champion Risen Star, the 1988 Preakness (G1) and Belmont (G1) Stakes winner.
Denis of Cork finished a dull fifth as the even-money favorite in the Illinois Derby, but trainer David Carroll said the Harlans Holiday colt would continue on toward the Kentucky Derby.
You just kind of shake your head and move on, Carroll said. He had one of those days. I guess we all have them, you know?
Z Humor, the third-place finisher in the Illinois Derby, also is likely for the Kentucky Derby, said Sobhy Sonbol, racing manager for owner Ahmed Zayat.
Trainer Bob Baffert may still be heard on the Derby trail with Samba Rooster, who is slated for the Lexington Stakes after he was purchased privately by Bernie Schiappa, Ernie Moody, and J. Terrence Lanni.
Samba Rooster finished second to Harlem Rocker in an entry-level allowance race on March 30 at Gulfstream Park. The Songandaprayer colt is not nominated to the Triple Crown.
Baffert trained 2006 Blue Grass winner Sinister Minister for the same partnership.
Bernie wanted some action, Baffert said of the recent deal. We figure hes a need-the-lead type horse and maybe going two turns hell just keep on going.
Baffert joked that Sinister Ministers runaway performance in the Blue Grass may have been the final straw that led Keeneland to replace its dirt track with the synthetic Polytrack surface.
I wish we had that old dirt track for [Samba Rooster], Baffert said.
Pyro on smooth ride to Kentucky Derby leading up to final prep in the Blue Grass
By Jeffrey Mcmurray, Associated Press Writer
LEXINGTON, Ky. It's 11 a.m., lunch time at trainer Steve Asmussen's barn at Keeneland. As less-famous horses use loud grunts and violent kicks to demand they be fed next, their celebrity stablemate Pyro quietly waits his turn.
He's like that on the racetrack, too.
Asmussen says the 3-year-old colt known for his stunning finishes always devours each meal, including a 4 a.m. breakfast and 5 p.m. dinner. But while the horse has the appetite, pedigree and racing credentials of a leading Kentucky Derby contender, he seldom shows much aggression or ego - at least until it's time.
"He's developed nicely, matured nicely," said Asmussen, who also trained Curlin, the 2007 horse of the year and this year's winner of the $6 million Dubai World Cup. "He's been very professional on the racetrack, a good feeler in the barn. He's definitely a horse that's easy to handle, easy to be around. He's shown a lot of respect for his job."
That job is to try to do something Curlin wasn't able to pull off - win the Derby. But first comes one last prep, the Blue Grass Stakes Saturday on Keeneland's Polytrack, where Pyro is expected to be the favorite. A win would make him one of the favorites to take the Derby on May 3 at Churchill Downs.
Shaun Bridgmohan, Pyro's regular rider, said he has seldom seen a horse improve so much, so quickly.
"The transition period from a 2-year-old to a 3-year-old, he's made it very well," Bridgmohan said. "You get on those young horses and always have high hopes for them. He actually panned out the way I thought he would."
In two starts this year, both victories, Pyro has shown finishing speed that even Asmussen didn't expect. Especially impressive was his victory Feb. 9 in the Risen Star Stakes, in which he soared from last in the field to a comfortable two-length victory at the end.
David Fiske, farm manager at Corinthia, a 320-acre family-owned horse farm in Lexington where Pyro was born, said that race made him understand this horse is even more special than he realized.
"We'd always thought he was good," Fiske said. "Then you turn for home and you're last, so a lot of thoughts race through your mind. We couldn't have been that wrong. What happened? Did he get hurt? Then he wins. It's not the way it was scripted."
Last month, Pyro used a similar comeback to take the Louisiana Derby. Since arriving at Keeneland thereafter, he has worked out in the predawn hours each Monday and explored the surroundings.
Last Saturday, he walked to the paddock with several other horses on their way to a race. As they hit the track, Pyro stayed behind, studying each tree.
"He'll do whatever you ask him to do," jockey Dominic Terry said after riding Pyro during a recent workout. "When he runs, he can get himself out of trouble. Really classy as a 3-year-old, very mature."
One of only five colts in a 2005 crop by Pulpit and out of Wild Vision, Pyro provides the best hope of a Derby victory for the Winchells, a longtime racing family that owns Corinthia and a 154-year-old mansion with red bricks and white pillars that sits on the property.
Since primary owner Verne Winchell's death in 2002, the thoroughbred racing business has passed on to Winchell's wife, Joan, and son, Ron, both of whom live in Las Vegas but visit the mansion several times a year.
The family has had several starters in the Kentucky Derby, including Zanjero last year, but its highest finish so far was Classic Go Go's fourth-place showing in 1981.
Fiske, who helped deliver Pyro, acknowledges he was no miracle horse, destined to be a champion from his early days as a yearling. But, his development - and cooperation with those trying to train him - make him believe this could be the one.
"He was remarkable for being unremarkable," Fiske said. "That seems to be the way a lot of them are. The good ones tend to take care of themselves, tend to be good-doers. They're not the ones that tend to get injured or sick or that you have to put back together."
Asmussen, however, remains cautious in predicting big things for his latest 3-year-old star.
"He hasn't run a race to this point that is good enough to win the Derby," Asmussen said. "But we also think he's in position to move forward. It'll all be timing and fortunate circumstances."
Multiple Group 1 winner TOMCITO (Street Cry [Ire]), who finished third in the Florida Derby (G1) in his United States racing debut, traveled to Churchill Downs on Wednesday to get a feel for the track prior to a possible start in the 134th running of the Kentucky Derby (G1) on May 3.
The Peruvian import traveled by van from trainer Dante Zanelli's base at Keeneland and worked five furlongs in 1:01 2/5 on a fast track under Manfredy Guzman, who is a former jockey in Peru.
Churchill Downs clockers caught Tomcito in fractions of :13 2/5, :26 1/5, :38 and :50. Tomcito galloped out six furlongs in 1:14 2/5. The move ranked fifth among 18 works at the distance.
Zanelli said he actually worked Tomcito six furlongs and he caught the colt in a time of 1:14 3/5, but was pleased with the trial regardless of the official clocking.
"We wanted him to just recognize the track and know where the finish line was," Zanelli said. "We wanted to do an easy three-quarters, and that's exactly what he did. He finished strong -- he finished 11-and-three the last eighth and he galloped out well. He's really moving forward big time. He's improving every day and he's doing it really well."
Tomcito has been mentioned as a candidate for the $325,000 Lexington S. (G2) on April 19 at Keeneland, but Zanelli said he is taking a "wait and see" approach on that race. He would prefer not to run again prior to the Kentucky Derby, but Tomcito might not have sufficient earnings in graded stakes races to make the maximum 20-horse field in the Derby.
"We're going wait and see what happens this weekend (in Derby prep races)," Zanelli said. "We'll have to do what we have to do, but we think the five weeks between the Florida Derby and the Kentucky Derby would work for us. He is professional, he knows what to do and he has experience from last year."
Zanelli said Tomcito would remain at Keeneland until shortly before the Derby.
"We'll come back and breeze next week up there (at Churchill Downs)," Zanelli added. "At this point, I think we'll stay put (at Keeneland) until the last few days."
Unlike his Kentucky Derby rivals, Tomcito has already run and won at the Kentucky Derby distance of a mile and a quarter and the Belmont S. (G1) distance of a mile and a half. He has graded stakes earnings of $151,292.
Correction: Lane's End S. (G2) winner ADRIANO (A.P. Indy) did not work at Keeneland on Tuesday.
Saturday featured a whirlwind of three key prep races. COLONEL JOHN (Tiznow) lived up to expectations in the Santa Anita Derby (G1), solidifying his status as a top Kentucky Derby (G1) contender with a late-running victory. TAKE OF EKATI (Tale of Cat), a classy juvenile who had been written off following a clunker in the Louisiana Derby (G2), gained a measure of redemption with his late rally in the Wood Memorial (G1). And the Illinois Derby (G2) was a complete shocker, with maiden winner RECAPTURETHEGLORY (Cherokee Run) rolling to a four-length, wire-to-wire score at nearly 16-1.
We'll start with "The Colonel." The WinStar homebred caught a game BOB BLACK JACK (Stormy Jack) in deep stretch of the Santa Anita Derby, winning by a half-length on the wire, and Colonel John will head to Louisville, Kentucky, with a two-for-two mark this season, opening his sophomore campaign with a half-length victory in the March 1 Sham S. (G3). Both wins came at 1 1/8 miles, and the Eoin Harty-trained colt owns an excellent pedigree for the 1 1/4-mile distance. Jockey Corey Nakatani will be pursuing his first Kentucky Derby win.
Colonel John's lack of a triple-digit BRIS Speed rating is disconcerting, but he's proving to be a powerful finisher. He closed well for runner-up honors in his two-year-old finale, earning a 106 BRIS Late Pace rating in the December 22 CashCall Futurity (G1), and netted a 115 Late Pace number in the Sham, racing up on the lead from the start in a slow-paced race. Colonel John reverted to rating tactics in the Santa Anita Derby, patiently traveling in midpack during the early stages, and left himself with plenty of work to do in the stretch. He rallied in dynamic fashion to win going away, netting a 118 Late Pace rating while registering a career-best 98 Speed rating, and his Speed ratings will keep getting better.
With a solid two-year-old foundation to his credit, Colonel John will enter the Kentucky Derby on the upswing off a lightly raced three-year-old campaign. All signs point toward a peak performance on Derby Day, with his long strides devouring ground through the stretch at Churchill Downs, and Colonel John can put himself in a favorable position with his tactical speed. His supporters got great value at 19-1 and 17-1, respectively, in Pool 1 and 2 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager. Colonel John closed at 6-1 in Pool 3.
Dirt remains a question. Harty plans to drill Colonel John over Churchill's track the week before, but the colt owns no experience on natural soil, making all six career appearances over synthetic surfaces in California. However, it's easy to imagine him taking to a dirt track with his breeding (sire Tiznow won the Breeders' Cup Classic [G1] at Churchill). The unbeaten Zenyatta, who is by 2007 Derby-winning sire Street Cry (Ire), had no trouble transferring her outstanding synthetic form into her dirt debut in Saturday's Apple Blossom H. (G1) at Oaklawn Park, knocking off champion Ginger Punch (Awesome Again) with a sensational late run. Nobody should be surprised to see Colonel John do the same.
Colonel John looks as dangerous as they come in this year's Kentucky Derby crop.
Bob Black Jack turned in a honest effort while stretching out to 1 1/8 miles for the first time. He distinguished himself as a sprinter over the winter, winning the six-furlong Sunshine Millions Dash at Santa Anita in 1:06 2/5 on January 26, and recorded a solid third when making his two-turn debut next time out in the 1 1/16-mile San Felipe S. (G2), finishing 1 3/4 lengths back of the winning Georgie Boy (Tribal Rule). After setting the pace in his three previous starts, Bob Black Jack settled nicely off the flank of pacesetter COAST GUARD (Stormy Atlantic) in second, waiting until the stretch to make his move for the lead in the Santa Anita Derby. He gained the advantage late and never quit trying while drifting in and out. In terms of getting 1 1/4 miles, Bob Black Jack owns little-to-no chance from a pedigree perspective, and he'll likely revert back to sprinting at some point this season, with the seven-furlong King's Bishop S. (G1) at Saratoga being a perfect target. But he's earned his chance to compete in the Kentucky Derby.
Coast Guard held commendably for third, but lacks graded earnings (27th on the Kentucky Derby list with $130,000). He'll be a fresh horse in the Preakness (G1). YANKEE BRAVO (Yankee Gentlemen) entered the stretch full of run but flattened out in the final furlongs, checking in fourth. He's too far back on the earnings list in 33rd.
The Santa Anita Derby served as a potential nightmare for the connections of 9-5 favorite EL GATO MALO (El Corredor), who earned only $15,000 for his fifth-place finish. El Gato Malo launched an early move to reach contention midway on the far turn in the Santa Anita Derby, but he was in trouble when David Flores went to the whip approaching the stretch drive and came up empty in the lane. Winner of the San Rafael S. (G3) and second in the Sham, El Gato Malo seemed assured of securing a spot in the Kentucky Derby field entering the Santa Anita Derby, but he's now on the outside looking in with $145,000 in graded earnings, ranking 25th on the graded earnings list. Some of the horses ahead of him will be withdrawn from consideration in the coming weeks, but the three remaining preps -- the $1 million Arkansas Derby (G2), $750,000 Blue Grass S. (G1) and $325,000 Lexington S. (G2) -- will vault prospects past him as well. The gelding needs some help.
Tale of Ekati rallied determinedly to catch WAR PASS (Cherokee Run) in the Wood Memorial, responding to jockey Edgar Prado's desperate urgings to wear down the beleaguered pacesetter in the final yards for a half-length victory. Winner of the seven-furlong Futurity (G2) prior to a fourth in the sloppy Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1), Tale of Ekati entered 2008 with big expectations, but the Barclay Tagg pupil waited until March 8 to make his seasonal bow and didn't get much out of the Louisiana Derby, racing far back throughout after a slow start. He drilled consecutive four-furlong works from the gate at the Palm Meadows training center in preparation for the Wood, and the bay colt broke much better, settling into a stalking third for the run down the backstretch.
War Pass got burned by the rabbit INNER LIGHT (Songandaprayer), who forced War Pass to run unreasonable early splits in :22 2/5 and :46 over the slow Aqueduct track. War Pass registered huge E1 and E2 Early Pace numbers of 121 and 123, but the early exploits took their toll, leaving him rubber-legged by the stretch drive. Both the winner and runner-up finished slowly. Tale of Ekati, who stalked a few lengths behind the leaders down the backstretch, was able to save more for the stretch, but he was softened up by the wicked pace, earning a 77 Late Pace rating. War Pass got a 71.
Tale of Ekati received a 100 Speed rating in the Wood. He owns a regal female pedigree for 1 1/4 miles, and Prado will attempt to secure a stalking trip in the first flight behind the front runners. That proved to be the catbird seat for the Tagg-trained Funny Cide in 2003, but Funny Cide had three starts to build upon that year, entering the Derby off a runner-up effort in the Wood that received a 111 Speed rating. Tale of Ekati is more lightly raced, and he's no lock to get the Derby distance or trip (a slow start would compromise him in a 20-horse field). On the other side of the coin, Tale of Ekati owns solid attributes, utilizing an effective stalk-and-pace style to garner his first Grade 1 victory last time, and he figures to be overlooked on Derby Day. He'll offer value at double-digit odds.
War Pass impressed with a much-improved effort and, given his class, he'd have a shot to lead wire-to-wire at Churchill with a trip like War Emblem enjoyed in 2002 where he was able to dictate everything on a uncontested lead. The problem is BIG BROWN (Boundary), Bob Black Jack and Recapturetheglory all figure to be winging it early, threatening to turn this year's Derby into a race similar to the 2001 edition when the late-running Monarchos capitalized upon suicidal early fractions of :22 1/5, :44 4/5 and 1:09 1/5. Of course, many observers thought Spend a Buck had little chance in 1985 with the other speed in the field, but he shot right to the front and opened a six-length advantage through a half-mile in :45 4/5 and six furlongs in 1:09 3/5 en route to a front-running demolition.
War Pass got little out of his last-place finish in the Tampa Bay Derby (G3), but the Wood Memorial figures to tighten him up for the main prize. There's no guarantee he'll last 10 furlongs, but what happens if he gets loose early? Dismiss him from consideration at your own risk.
The Wood set up perfectly for a closer, but COURT VISION (Gulch) was woefully unable to capitalize, flattening out after closing into contention at the top of the stretch. He spotted the leaders nearly 20 lengths during the early stages and earned only a 89 Late Pace rating for his non-threatening third. Co-owned by WinStar, the Bill Mott-trained Court Vision received the same two-race program as Colonel John, but that strategy won't work perfectly for all horses. Court Vision doesn't appear set for a top performance, entering the Kentucky Derby off a pair of clunkers, but the one-run closer can't be completely disregarded due to the possibility of a pace meltdown, which could open the barn door for all the late runners in the field. Court Vision is a Grade 3 winner over the track, winning the one-mile Iroquois S. (G3) at Churchill in late October, but he'll need to improve significantly over the next four weeks to challenge.
ANAK NAKAL (Victory Gallop) made no impact from off the pace in the Wood, checking in fifth, but the Kentucky Jockey Club S. (G2) winner has the graded earnings to make the Derby field. The Nick Zito-trained colt is in the same boat with Court Vision -- he doesn't look fast enough to win the Derby but hopes to get lucky from off the pace like a Giacomo.
In the Illinois Derby, Recapturetheglory pulled off a stunner, leading gate-to-wire from his rail post under E.T. Baird, and the upset puts co-owner and trainer Louie Roussel back in the potential spotlight for this year's Kentucky Derby. Roussel brought a serious contender to the Derby 20 years ago in Risen Star, who is probably Recapturetheglory's namesake, but the dark bay colt could do no better than third following a wide trip. He went on to win the Preakness and Belmont S. (G1) en route to championship honors.
Recapturetheglory entered the Illinois Derby with only a maiden win to his credit, taking a one-mile and 70-yard event by a nose at Hawthorne last November, and it was difficult to envision him getting an uncontested lead on Saturday. But GOLDEN SPIKES (Seeking the Gold) didn't run with him early, settling into a stalking second entering the first turn, and the top-five finishers pretty much held their spot the entire way. Inside speed fared well at Hawthorne on Saturday, and the outcome looks very suspicious. Recapturetheglory got away with soft fractions, allowing Baird to turn for home with plenty of horse underneath him, and he probably won't reproduce this effort at Churchill.
The Illinois Derby proved to be a tremendous disappointment for DENIS OF CORK (Harlan's Holiday), who finished fifth as the even-money favorite. Unbeaten in three previous career starts, Denis of Cork distinguished himself as an up-and-coming Kentucky Derby contender with an excellent 2 1/4-length score in the February 18 Southwest S. (G3) at Oaklawn Park. Given his lack of foundation, the Rebel S. (G2) and Arkansas Derby made perfect sense for his next starts, and the Arkansas route provided the perfect set-up for the connections of Smarty Jones, Afleet Alex and Curlin, who accounted for five Triple Crown race wins over the last four years. Unfortunately for Denis of Cork, the sheet guys (who were consulted for direction) apparently felt they were much smarter than John Servis, Tim Ritchey and Steve Asmussen. They advised a cockeyed approach with only one race over the next 75 days for an unseasoned sophomore, denying Denis of Cork his best chance to win this year's Kentucky Derby. He was one-paced throughout on Saturday and probably didn't get much out of the race. Not only has the strategy likely backfired in terms of readiness, but Denis of Cork could potentially miss the Kentucky Derby with $165,000 in graded earnings (21st currently on the graded earnings list).
Upcoming
PYRO (Pulpit), who established himself as the leading Kentucky Derby contender by virtue of his visually impressive victories in the Louisiana Derby (G2) and Risen Star S. (G3), didn't scare away the opposition in Saturday's Blue Grass at Keeneland. Eleven runners will line up to challenge the Asmussen trainee, including Fountain of Youth (G2) winner COOL COAL MAN (Mineshaft); Gotham (G3) conqueror VISIONAIRE (Grand Slam); Tampa Bay Derby (G3) hero BIG TRUCK (Hook and Ladder); and the dangerous duo of COWBOY CAL (Giant's Causeway) and MONBA (Maria's Mon) from the Todd Pletcher stable.
Saturday's Arkansas Derby won't feature the same star quality (none of the expected 14 entrants are ranked in the top 20 on the graded earnings list), but it promises to be a good betting race. BLACKBERRY ROAD (Gone West), Z FORTUNE (Siphon [Brz]), GAYEGO (Gilded Time) and LIBERTY BULL (Holy Bull) are among the top contenders in the wide-open event.
Top 10
1) PYRO -- Working well at Keeneland in advance of Blue Grass
2) COLONEL JOHN -- Rolled late to win Santa Anita Derby; classy colt figures to relish added ground in Derby
3) BIG BROWN -- Distance and seasoning are questions, but he's a threat on talent alone
4) ADRIANO -- Impressive Lane's End winner is good enough to challenge if he handles dirt
5) COOL COAL MAN -- Fountain of Youth winner isn't getting much respect; could be live for Zito on Derby Day
6) TALE OF EKATI -- Wood winner didn't finish fast, but he's headed in the right direction for Tagg
7) WAR PASS -- Eligible to improve off Wood; he'll try to shake loose early and would love a wet track
8) VISIONAIRE -- Gotham winner is talented but 1 1/4 miles figures to severely test him
9) COURT VISION -- Two efforts this year are uninspiring; late runner will need to show much more on May 3
10) BIG TRUCK -- Won't be surprised to see another strong showing in Blue Grass
Kentucky Derby has a full field but few contenders
Jockey Corey Nakatani, left, aboard Colonel John won the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby on Saturday. Colonel John is a legitimate contender at the Kentucky Derby on May 3.
By Bob Mieszerski, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
April 8, 2008
Two of the certainties of spring are the NHL playoffs will begin without the Los Angeles Kings and that UCLA will be a Final Four loser.
Another is the Kentucky Derby will have a full field, meaning 20 3-year-old horses will enter the starting gate May 3 at Churchill Downs.
So many of them should not bother this year. At this point, it is extremely difficult to imagine any horse other than Pyro, Big Brown or Colonel John winning the 134th Derby.
Pyro, who will have his final prep in the $750,000 Blue Grass Stakes on Saturday at Keeneland, and Florida Derby winner Big Brown are generally considered the top two 3-year-olds in the country, but Colonel John also deserves mention and could upset both of them in 25 days.
Although he has yet to prove himself on conventional dirt, Colonel John was very professional in his best win, in the Santa Anita Derby. Being a son of two time Breeders' Cup Classic winner Tiznow, he also should have no trouble with the Derby distance of 1 ¼ miles.
Colonel John was the only winner of a Derby prep on Saturday who is a legitimate contender in Louisville.
The Wood Memorial at Aqueduct was an ugly affair. Tale of Ekati prevailed despite a turtle-like final eighth of a mile. Rest assured, the last furlong of the Kentucky Derby won't take more than 14 seconds to complete.
As for War Pass, the Derby is the last place he should compete in three weeks from Saturday. If the 2-year-old champion of 2007 couldn't win the Wood after being hounded early through some quick fractions by a hopeless longshot, how is he going to take the heat of Big Brown at Churchill Downs and keep going? War Pass is a one-dimensional speed horse who needs everything in his favor, and that is not a trip he is going to get on the first Saturday of next month. If he does start, a 16th or 17th place finish - or worse -- is in his future.
All the Illinois Derby showed, which was won by front-running longshot Recapturetheglory, is that Atoned, Denis of Cork and Z Humor aren't legitimate Derby threats. Recapturetheglory, whose only win before Saturday came against maidens, will never get an easier trip. All he will be in the Derby is another pace casualty.
Of all the stakes races run around the country Saturday, no winner was more impressive than Zenyatta in the Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark.
The massive daughter of Street Cry blew away a field that included Ginger Punch, the 2007 older filly/mare champion, for her fourth win in as many starts for owners Jerry and Ann Moss and trainer John Shirreffs.
It would be exciting to see Zenyatta take on males in the coming months because there is no handicap horse in California that could touch her. Her presence would spice up the $750,000 Hollywood Gold Cup, which will be run June 28 at Hollywood Park.
I have a huge problem w/ Eight Belles being able to be cross entered in the Derby and Oaks. This is not a knock on the abilities of Eight Belles, but in a system that allows this to take place.
Here's the problem. The Derby does not have an also eligible list. So, after the entries are locked on the Wedenesday before the race, that spot is dead. If she decides late to go in the Oaks, then she took away a spot from a possible contender. I was unaware that Graded earnings in Filly races counted towards the KY Derby eligibility. In the future, the super-trainer stables can use this "cross-entering" move as a strategy to eliminate contenders.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Greetings from the Gluegrass: Will Big Brown and Pyro Choices of Designer Footwear Turn It Into the Ken-STUCK-y Derby?
Risen Star and Louisiana Derby winner Pyro impressed a lot of people this winter. He did it wearing glue-on shoes called Polyflex, shown here on stakes winner Malibu Mint. Little Belle won the Ashford Stakes at Keeneland wearing these shoes last week; that's the track that Pyro will run on today. The shoes are more or less transparent, with a yellowish hue. They have a steel wire core which is shaped like the foot in a special mold, then urethane is poured in to the ideal shape. A steel toe insert completes the kit. (Hoofcare and Lameness Journal photo)
Glue-on horseshoes are the stuff of legend this year as at least two of the Derby favorites flaunt their footwear on the road to the Triple Crown.
In the Southeast corner, we have Big Brown, winner of the Florida Derby by a landslide in spite of recovering from heel wall separations in both front feet. The photo (bottom of this post) shows a typical injury of this type, usually caused by a subsolar abscess, trimming too short, or training and racing on hard tracks (or a combination of these factors).
Ian McKinlay, the New Jersey quarter crack specialist who repaired the detached wall on the first foot, said that the colt "is not a bad-footed horse" and just needed cushioning on the inside heel where an abscess had been. "Chances are, it will grow down, on both feet, and he'll be fine going into the future," Ian said yesterday. "His trainer knows what he's doing."
Ian's solution, which we hope to show on the blog, is a standard one; he says the injury is quite common among both Standardbreds and Thoroughbreds. He cleaned up the wall from the quarter back to the heel and put a gum rubber insert under the deficit. There's one heel nail holding the glued shoe from slipping, along with a copper clip (the PMMA adhesive sticks very well to copper) on the outside. The gum rubber material is like window caulking; it acts like a gasket. The glue-y shoe is a regular race plate.
(To read more about Big Brown's fancy footwork, see photo below and scroll down to posts and photos from earlier this week, marked April 8.)
And in Kentucky, all eyes will be on Pyro in the Bluegrass Stakes today. I didn't know until this week that Pyro won the Risen Star and Louisiana Derby wearing Curtis Burns' Polyflex all-urethane shoes, and he will apparently have them on today, as well,to run on Keeneland's Polytrack. Pyro's gluesmith is Steve Asmussen's regular horseshoer, David Hinton.
What's in a name? Polytrack seems to agree with Polyflex; you'll agree if you watched Kiaran McLaughlin's trainee Little Belle win the Ashland Stakes at Keeneland last Saturday, with Curtis's see-through shoes glued on her fast little feet.
And who gets the last word in this sticky story? That maven of the media, 2007 Belmont Stakes winner Rags to Riches. It seems R2R, who now resides at Ashford Stud in Versailles, Kentucky, was bred to Giant's Causeway last week. To celebrate her future marehood, farrier Steve Norman pulled her raceplates and replaced them with glueons which will stay on for a cycle or two. This is called "transitional shoeing" and is meant to encourage sole growth before she goes barefoot.
Traditionally, fillies and mares coming from the track have their shoes yanked off and they go straight to a barefoot lifestyle. This usually means gimping around the breeding farm for a number of weeks, since the feet are often cut quite short at the track, and the soles can be thin, until the feet toughen up.
One horse who I cannot imagine in gimp-mode is Rags to Riches.
Note: There are special shoes for gluing on racehorses, such as the Polyflex shoes or Sigafoos shoes, with cloth cuffs. Farriers can also glue on or glue-and-nail normal plates or shoes. There are some amazingly creative people working on these horses.
Thanks to all the farriers and trainers who contributed to this and other posts. I know they had a lot to do this week but most took the time to talk because these new shoes are past the "experimental" stage and are now considered creative equipment adjustments. We've come a long way.
This foot has been cleaned up after being blown out by a subsolar heel abscess, similar to the problem that necessitated glue-on shoes for Kentucky Derby hopeful Big Brown. Ian McKinley padded the exposed heel with gum rubber and glued window caulking like a gasket to hold it in so the area is cushioned. At this stage in the procedure, dead or hangnailish wall has been removed. This is NOT Big Brown, who is now well on his way in the healing process. (Ian McKinlay photo)
Bob Black Jack Pointing to Derby for Sure. Barring the unforeseen, the Kentucky Derby will be next for Bob Black Jack, a $4,500 purchase who's earned nearly 10 times that amount. He finished second in the Grade I Santa Anita Derby on April 5.
The 3-year-old colt, who was overtaken in deep stretch by Colonel John, will run in blinkers for the first time when he works Monday, trainer James Kasparoff said yesterday.
The horse will work in a half-mile Monday in company with one of my horses, said the 33-year-old Kasparoff, who has only four horses in his stable. Were going to try some blinkers on him just to make sure hes not too aggressive with them. As long as he can get in the Derby, hes going to go. I intend to take him as long as he qualifies in graded earnings.
Bob Black Jack has $180,000 in graded earnings and is tied with Visionaire. Depending on the outcome of three graded races, he could be on the Derby bubble.
Well see what happens after this weekend, Kasparoff said. There are a lot of horses that can jump up and get ahead of us. In theory, I think there could be five horses that could pass us. The Arkansas Derby pays $600,000, $200,000 and $100,000, so if a horse is sitting with $80,000 and runs third, now hes at $180,000. But as long as my horse can get in on money, were going.
Kasparoff dismisses criticism that Bob Black Jack is a speed horse with distance limitations, and could find the mile and a quarter of the Kentucky Derby beyond his scope. Bob Black Jack, a son of Stormy Jack-Mollys Prospector, set a world record for six furlongs in winning the Sunshine Millions Dash in 1:06.53 on Jan. 26.
The horse will do fine going a mile and a quarter, Kasparoff said. Hell have no problem going a mile and a quarter. He got a mile and a sixteenth, he got a mile and an eighth, and he was finishing in that race. Colonel John was life and death to get him. He had to give everything he had, and he didnt start running until he got to the outside. We were finishing; we werent crawling home, so a mile and a quarter wont be a problem.
I hope Pyro's flame-job in the Blue Grass doesn't result in Eight Belles running in the Derby. I want her in the Oaks.
The latest thing I heard last week was the Oaks, Jones thinks she is special but says she doesnt have enough gate speed to really clear the colts if she gets hung out in the 14 -20 hole and she isn't a huge filly to get bumped around. I think the Oaks is going to be on of the best editions of that race in a long while. Pure Clan is going to run huge that day with a better size field than that 4 horse field she ran in last with Eight Belles. Look for Pure Clan to run big at a huge price, Pure Clan will probably go off the biggest price of her racing career.
On Saturday, Florida Derby (G1) hero BIG BROWN (Boundary), a 12 3/4-length allowance winner at the beginning of the season, worked five furlongs in 1:00 3/5 on the fast dirt at Palm Meadows Training Center with trainer Richard Dutrow in attendance.
Big Brown is scheduled to work two more times at Palm Meadows prior to the May 3 Kentucky Derby (G1), with the second move forecast for April 28. Big Brown will depart for Louisville, Kentucky, later that day.
"His talent just overwhelms the other horses," Dutrow said.
The latest thing I heard last week was the Oaks, Jones thinks she is special but says she doesnt have enough gate speed to really clear the colts if she gets hung out in the 14 -20 hole and she isn't a huge filly to get bumped around. I think the Oaks is going to be on of the best editions of that race in a long while. Pure Clan is going to run huge that day with a better size field than that 4 horse field she ran in last with Eight Belles. Look for Pure Clan to run big at a huge price, Pure Clan will probably go off the biggest price of her racing career.
FB
I could not agree with you more here FB...And I believe Pure Clan will enjoy the 1 1/8 more than Eight Belles. There are A LOT of great horses that can not run in the lane well inside of horses, Curlin isn't near as good inside of horses in the lane as he is outside of horses. Plenty of superstars like that. Pure Clan in that last race appears to be that kind. Don't understand the merry-go-round of jocks aboard her, but there was no excuse for the jock alllowing Eight Belles first run on her and to get her inside horses and in a bit tight in the lane. Watch inside the 1/16 pole when she is moved off the rail and to the outside, her acceleration and the ground she makes up on Eight Belles losing only a length. On the gallop out, she went by her easily and they were both under a drive. Really, really, like Pure Clan in the Oaks.
I have a nice future pool #2 ticket and you all know how I feel about E.B., but as you stated I have watched that race numerous times and when P.C. rebrok she was on there ass and galloper out awesome. She will be a big price on Oaks day and I think she will run the race of her life that day.
This story was told at Aqueduct last Saturday and comes from a very good, long-trusted source whose identity will remain confidential. The names will be eliminated from this version in the interest of avoiding a lawsuit.
The owner of several horses, in the market for a new and more effective veterinarian, approached one whose clients have been prospering. He inquired about inevitably exorbitant fees.
Fine, the owner said to the vet, but I want the same stuff youre giving (name of trainer).
That, the vet said, is very expensive and has to be paid for up-front.
Something about this conversation would suggest that the substance referenced is not one of those approved to therapeutic use in New York or perhaps anywhere the cobra venom found in trainer Patrick Biancones barn at Keeneland last year, for instance, was very expensive -- and brings up the controversial issue of the role of veterinarians in racing.
This brought to mind another story, one very old, but since the subject remains active, he too will remain anonymous.
Years ago, during the usual après-race stop at Espositos (the greatest racetrack saloon ever) , a groom who had spend much of the day drinking beer was catching a short nap at the bar when the mention of his employer caused him to regain consciousness.
Whats going on with (name of Hall of Fame trainer)? he was asked. You cant beat him lately.
The groom blinked, snorted, took a drink, said, New vet, and resumed his nap.
While the issue of steroids has found its way from baseball to racing, more sinister forces are at work on the backstretch, knowledge of which is beyond the reach of most trainers but squarely in the domain of the veterinary profession and while the majority of its practitioners observe the rules, it is not a group without those who color outside the lines. Owners, after all, are more result than method oriented.
There are opposing forces at work here. One on hand, the sport depends on the perception of integrity despite the absence of transparency. On the other, the treatment and medication of horses beyond the most benign and identification of the attending veterinarian is not part of the body of information made available to the public. The resultant perception is that the sport is dominated by those most skilled at avoiding the detection of illegal, performance-enhancing substances.
While much lip service is devoted to transparency, racing is closer to opaque in the area of disclosure of information regarding medication and the identity of those charged with its administration.
Pari-mutuel pools are financial markets and that are unfortunately operated outside the constraints of statutory reporting requirements. The public disclosure of medication and the identification of attending veterinarians would be important tools to handicappers, who demand but receive none of the protection against fraud and manipulation that investors consider their right.
Inclusion of this information which should include every medication administered to a horse before a race as well as the administering veterinarian -- in program and past performance data is every bit as important as the listing of trainer and jockey, perhaps more so.
The most important goal of racings regulators and image makers should be to eliminate the term juice from the lexicon. One of the things every horseplayer learns is that the things most injurious to solvency are those that go unseen and the most dangerous individuals in the sport are unknown in the public arena.
Monba, ridden by Edgar Prado, charged to the finish to win the Blue Grass Stakes in Lexington, Ky., on Saturday. Pyro, the favorite, finished 10th. (By Ed Reinke -- Associated Press)
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By Andrew Beyer
Tuesday, April 15, 2008; Page E03
When the undistinguished colt Monba won Saturday's Blue Grass Stakes with the highly regarded Kentucky Derby contender Pyro finishing 10th, the result may have surprised or confused many racing fans. It deserved another reaction, too: sheer dismay. The prep races leading up to the Derby have in many cases been shorn of significance or interest.
The weeks preceding the Derby used to be one of the best times of the year for thoroughbred racing. Although the sport's overall popularity has declined, the Triple Crown series and the 3-year-old prep races leading into it commanded widespread attention from the media and the public. Even casual fans watch the prep races intently, looking for the colt who will move them to exclaim, "That's my Derby horse!"
The prep races have prompted few such exclamations this year. The current generation of 3-year-olds has been disappointing; neither War Pass nor Pyro, the top 2-year-olds of 2007, has lived up to expectations. Only one colt has delivered anything resembling a spectacular performance: Big Brown, in his Florida Derby victory. The quality of this year's Derby crop is just a transitory disappointment, but the prep races have undergone what may be a permanent change for the worse.
The major reason has been the installation of synthetic surfaces at the sites of significant 3-year-old stakes -- Santa Anita, Turfway Park and particularly Keeneland. Everyone involved in the game -- from Hall of Fame trainers to gamblers in the grandstand -- has been struggling to understand the nuances of these new surfaces. Everyone knows by now that early speed is generally less important on synthetics than it is on dirt. Almost everyone agrees that synthetic surfaces and dirt are two different games, and that a horse is unlikely to display the same level of ability on both surfaces.
Most mature bettors never expect handicapping to be easy; they accept synthetic tracks as just another factor that needs to be understood and mastered. But in the 3-year-old stakes races that precede the Kentucky Derby, the presence of synthetic tracks has not merely complicated the game. It has made rational handicapping judgments almost impossible.
Never was this as apparent as it was Saturday in Keeneland's Blue Grass Stakes -- a race that was once the most meaningful of all Derby preps. Keeneland's Polytrack is less kind to speed horses than almost any other synthetic track; accordingly, jockeys put their horses under early restraint and try to accelerate late, tactics that produce bunched finishes and sometimes bizarre results. Last year, the leading 3-year-old, Street Sense, lost the Blue Grass in a four-horse photo finish, a result that had nothing to do with the relative ability of the horses. Street Sense came back to win the Derby, while the other three finished 11th, 12th and 17th at Churchill Downs.
But if the 2007 result was fluky, 2008 was incomprehensible. Pyro, the electrifying stretch-runner, was by far the most accomplished horse in the field, but he was making his first start on a synthetic track. Cool Coal Man, winner of the Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream, was considered his main rival; he, too, had done all of his previous racing on dirt. Big Truck was a well-regarded contender, too, after winning the Tampa Bay Derby on dirt.
On Polytrack, none of these three got into contention; they finished ninth, 10th and 11th in the field of 12. Meanwhile, the top four finishers, headed by Monba, were all colts who had never finished in the money in a stakes race on dirt.
What was the significance of Pyro's bad performance? ESPN's Saturday telecast featured two of the best analysts in the sport, Randy Moss and former jockey Jerry Bailey, and each voiced a strong opinion. Asked if he would forgive the bad effort because it was on Polytrack, Bailey replied: "Absolutely. A horse that good can't run that bad [without a legitimate excuse]." Moss shot back, "I'm not buying it," observing that even mediocre rivals outfinished Pyro in the stretch. "Maybe he didn't like the track, but what about the nine horses ahead of him?" Moss asked. "Did they all like the track better than he did?"
Handicappers will surely have more questions like these when Keeneland runs the final important Derby prep, the Lexington Stakes, on Saturday. And they certainly have questions about most of the California-based Derby contenders, such as Colonel John and El Gato Malo, who have spent their entire careers running over artificial surfaces on the Southern California circuit. At least the form on Hollywood Park's Cushion Track bears some resemblance to dirt form; Gayego made a successful transition to dirt when he won the Arkansas Derby on Saturday. But an element of uncertainty nevertheless surrounds all of California's other Derby contenders.
Picking the winner of the Kentucky Derby has never been easy under any circumstances. Because it is such a rigorous test of handicapping skills, bettors have always cherished the bragging rights that come from being right in this race. But now it has become an unfair test. Horseplayers can do little more than guess whether Pyro's poor showing at Keeneland is excusable, or whether the top California horses will duplicate their synthetic-track form when they run at Churchill Downs. The prep races run on synthetic surfaces raise questions that can't be answered with any confidence -- at least not until after the Derby has been run.
Big Brown Works for Kentucky Derby
by Steve Haskin
Updated: April 18, 2008
Florida Derby (gr. I) winner Big Brown, likely favorite for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), breezed five furlongs in 1:00 3/5 at Palm Meadows Friday with regular exercise rider Michelle Nevin aboard.
Owned by IEAH Stables and Paul Pompa, the son of Boundary Mien, by Lyphard has won all three of his career stakes by a total of 29 lengths, including a five-length score in the Florida Derby.
He breezed just like he always breezes five-eighths; well within himself, comfortable, no pressure, trainer Rick Dutrow said. Were as happy as we can be with him right now. We dont need to ask him for any more than that. We dont even ask him for that. He just gallops around there at his own pace; its beautiful. He and Michelle seem to have a little thing going when they get to their breeze. Every time shes breezed this horse its gone great.
Dutrow said Big Brown will have one more work at Palm Meadows and then fly to Louisiville on April 28.
Comments
NBCSports.com contributor
updated 7:58 p.m. CT, Fri., March. 21, 2008
John Pricci
BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. - Anyone who has spent time around Rick Dutrow probably would agree his disposition is described best with one word: unflappable. He doesnt rattle easily, has an easy way of moving about and answers questions in matter-of-fact style, like hes been there, done it.
So, will he allow his first Kentucky Derby get the better of him, is there any anxiety about the pressure cooker hes about to enter, will it alter the confidence he has in his training program?
That would be no, no and no.
Im going to follow his lead, the trainer of Big Brown, one of the strong Florida Derby favorites, said in his stable office, Barn 22, at the Palm Meadows training center. Hell take us as far as we can go.
From what he sees thus far, Dutrow believes, as does his jockey, Kent Desormeaux, who forsook a trip to Dubai for next Saturdays World Cup festivities to ride Big Brown at Gulfstream.
Where Big Brown goes, Kent Desormeaux will go
Desormeauxs agent, Mike Sellito, said it best a few weeks ago when he informed his regular customers and the rest of the racing world: Where Big Brown goes, Kent Desormeaux will go.
For Desormeaux on Wednesday, that meant a short trip north on I-95, west on 595, then north on Floridas Turnpike, about 30 miles and a couple of furlongs by car from the Fort Lauderdale International Airport. He worked his Florida Derby mount five furlongs.
After working Big Brown five-eighths in a minute, like breaking so many sticks I told him not too fast, not too slow, Desormeaux got off the colt, walked into Dutrows office and said: You know, the other day when he won, I was so high that I was saying crazy things, like hes the best horse Ive ever ridden. Now I think he really might be.
Dutrow recalled Desormeauxs words before showing the reporter his trainers log book, repeating exactly what he told the rider in response to his best horse comment. First, some background:
Dutrow and the entire racetrack knew what he was getting even before Big Brown walked into his barn following a private purchase for a major interest in the colt. Big Brown had run exactly once, on the grass at Saratoga. He left the barrier so fast that he blew the first turn but, after settling into comfortable stride, Jeremy Rose pushed the button into the stretch and Big Brown drew off to win by 11¼ lengths.
Not long after the highly successful IEAH group outbid Darley Stable interests for Big Brown, he was turned over to Dutrow, who immediately pointed to the inaugural Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf. Plans were scrapped when the colt developed a quarter crack. Back to the drawing board, Dutrow repeated the process this year but before the colt could return to the races he developed another quarter crack on the off side.
Following more rest and repair, Big Brown started shed-walking Feb. 1 until finally, on the 11th, with the crack almost completely healed, Big Brown began jogging two miles a day. Between Feb. 11 and Mar. 1, Big Brown had three workouts, all of the not-too-fast-not-too-slow variety: three furlongs, galloping out a half-mile; a half-mile, out five furlongs, and finally five furlongs, out three-quarters.
A turf horse AND a dirt horse
I always thought he was better on turf but when I worked him in company and (older stakes horse) Diamond Stripes couldnt stay with him, I knew I had a turf horse AND a dirt horse.
He worked an unbelievable five furlongs I couldnt imagine he was anywhere near 100 percent but was fit and ready to run. I asked the racing secretary to write a race; turf, dirt, it didnt matter. I told nobody about how I trained him. Then I called Bobby Frankel and said listen to what I did, I must be crazy.
A mile turf race was written for Mar. 5 but rain forced it to be rescheduled on the main track. After stalking a :22 4/5 and :45 1/5 pace, Big Brown easily took the lead approaching the stretch beneath a motionless Desormeaux, was six lengths in front in a twinkling and 12¾ lengths to the good at the end of a 1:35 3/5 mile.
Two starts, two wins, by a combined 24 lengths. Mike (Ivarone, managing partner of IEAH) called the night he won. I was so excited I couldnt talk.
(Big Brown) is so laid back, unassuming, said his trainer. He doesnt make you pay attention to him. On the track he does what you want and we let him do what he wants. Hes starting to come around, figuring things out. Now he wants to do more but we just try to keep him in hand.
The Florida Derby is Saturday, Mar. 29. Hell work next on the 25th, same thing, another five-eighths. Dutrow is not allowing himself to become too excited, and has no interest in trying to get to the bottom of Big Brown. Im just trying to stay out of his way.
Opinions are like a March Madness office pool. Sometimes the dweeb in the cubicle next to you comes off looking like a genius while you study your brain into mush and still wallow in ineptitude.
1 -- Stick a fork in WAR PASS. The seismic rebound needed after his Tampa Bay Derby debacle is insurmountable given his lack of versatility and fact he's gotten nothing out of not one, but two preps to this point. Shame, too, because I'm a big, big fan. Worse yet, you almost have to think something physically will show up down the road to explain it -- or was more present than what's been publicly alluded to so far.
2 -- I'm the first to want what's best for horseplayers, but a rule "demanding" the public know if WAR PASS had spiked a fever or not simply fails in its intent to protect gamblers. Do you want a shady trainer telling you the thermometer popped to get a better price on his own wager? Of course not, so this discussion cuts both ways. A horse's health is a necessary part of the gamble. Now, if a horse is moved off-site to a hypobaric chamber (ala Sweet Catomine a few springs ago), that's a different story...or, if the state veterinarian sees a particular horse, then that should be public record.
3 -- After a silent winter, don't be surprised to see multiple starters from Todd Pletcher on the first Saturday in May. Both ATONED and TEXAS WILDCATTER appear to be coming to hand with one prep left to go, and Pletcher often has a Keeneland late riser on the scene.
This Week's Fearless Forecast
This section includes a preview of the coming week's 3-year-old races to watch. Before we analyze the stakes action in Kentucky and Maryland, it's time to highlight a few undercard races of note this weekend.
Michael Matz's million-dollar baby ANEWDAY tops a 7-furlong MSW Saturday at Gulfstream. The third-time starter meets impeccably bred rookie FWHYEYE (Unbridled's Song-Rare Blend) for Kiaran McLaughlin and fast-working debuter ECTON ROAD for Dale Romans. Out west, Santa Anita has a sharp MSW turf mile Saturday where STREET ROYAL returns after a solid third to MEDJOOL. If the latter runs big in the G2 Lane's End earlier in the day, it might be an "all in" situation on this Bob Hess trainee in Santa Anita's fifth.
Also watch out for Tom Amoss' very versatile BOSS LAFITTE on the Fair Grounds turf Saturday in the listed Grindstone Stakes on closing weekend.
G2 Lane's End (Saturday/Turfway Park):
With a full field of runners and an extremely balanced potential pace scenario, expect the Polytrack-surfaced Lane's End to be run in very turf-like fashion. Several players should be in the mix at the top of the lane with a quick burst needed for the big prizes. Trip and acceleration should be atop your handicapping radar.
With John Velazquez staying at Gulfstream to ride the $200,000 Shirley Jones on a Jimmy Jerkens trainee, it leaves an empty feeling for Todd Pletcher's Lane's End reps CHITOZ and DUKE OF DE BUQE. Both look questionable at 1-1/8 miles, though CHITOZ ran what looked to be a winning race in last year's Kentucky Cup Juvenile over this track. I don't think he has the punch at 9 panels to out-kick some of the Lane's End top contenders, but he should be in the melee.
ADRIANO could daylight this field if he runs his A-race. His Gulfstream turf allowance win earlier this year was perhaps the best display of acceleration on the entire Triple Crown trail this season, outside of PYRO's Risen Star display. He was completely washed out prior to the Fountain of Youth and looked atrocious going to the gate, as though he had no chance. He ran as rank as he looked, and it should be noted that was on a date that had record-setting heat. Cooler temps at Turfway make me think that ADRIANO will bounce back in a major way, especially when you consider how this race shapes up in a very turf-like fashion.
MACHO AGAIN, though highly regarded by me, ran poorly on Polytrack at Keeneland in his only other plastics try, and he's a real question mark at 9 furlongs. This just doesn't look like a great spot for him. Also in a very tough spot are RACECAR RHAPSODY and TURF WAR, who both make their first appearances since December's G3 Delta Jackpot. Nine panels on a demanding surface is a hundred-foot hurdle of sorts without a foundation. Plus, the Jackpot alumni have been spitting pennies, not silver dollars, this spring.
CANNONBALL is extremely dangerous Saturday. His sire, Catienus, is one of the most successful sires since Turfway's Polytrack installation. Alex Solis comes east to ride in an interesting pairing, and CANNONBALL has kept fantastic running lines throughout his career.
Bettors will have plenty of love for HALO NAJIB and MEDJOOL, though the latter took the worst of a brutal post 12 draw. MEDJOOL is one of the west coast's most impressive maidens of 2008 and would be no surprise whatsoever if Michael Baze can work out a trip. But that could be nearly impossible if this balanced pace scenario plays out as it projects and the field does not spread out. HALO NAJIB hasn't figured out exactly what he is just yet, though we know he loves synthetic tracks. He's a pace wildcard, but has yet to show he really wants 1-1/8 miles or more. Given the likelihood of an under-laid price, he'll be a tepid toss Saturday.
Everyone's a Critic
This section includes a recap of last week's important performances in the 3-year-old division. So what do you want to make of WAR PASS and the Tampa Bay Derby? Let's start with last week's "good" before getting to the "bad" and "ugly."
Ala Smarty Jones in the 2004 Arkansas Derby, GEORGIE BOY earned his distance stripes and showed he could be world-class on the first turn, not the second, of Saturday's G2 San Felipe. Superstar horses are able to apply the brakes, relax, settle and make multiple runs in "push-button" style, and 'GEORGIE avoided problems on the San Felipe's first bend in a manner befitting a star. What's most impressive is he did it with back-up jockey Michael Baze on his back following Rafael Bejarano's injury. When Baze called upon him with three-sixteenths of a mile to run, 'GEORGIE responded with a fury despite not changing leads and still accelerating in razor-sharp splits of :23.56 and :05.78. Slow pace early or not, that's flying home, even on Cushion Track. He doesn't have the daisy-cutter efficiency of Smarty Jones in his sometimes-ugly stride, but just imagine if GEORGIE BOY's herky-jerkyness is a product of racing over a synthetic track he's not particularly fond of? This is THE one horse I can't wait to see train over the dirt at Churchill Downs on Derby Week. If he continues to progress in the Santa Anita Derby, and shows a smooth a.m. action in Louisville, look out. Stay tuned in the weeks to come.
As for the San Felipe runner-ups, BOB BLACK JACK had everything his way on the front end in splits that I wasn't sure he was capable of slowing to (1:13 for the opening 6 panels). That bodes well for him in future middle-distance stakes, showing he's not exclusively a 6-furlonger, but it shows a glaring weakness at classic distances given he still couldn't hold off his challengers in GEORGIE BOY and GAYEGO. The latter did what he was supposed to, pressing a soft pace and not letting anyone of lesser ilk come and get him. He's a worthy Santa Anita Derby starter, but his San Felipe did not show me that GAYEGO can factor with the likes of COLONEL JOHN and EL GATO MALO at 9 panels. Meanwhile, the choice to send BOB BLACK JACK to the G2 Arkansas Derby doesn't make much sense given the more-demanding nature the Oaklawn racetrack has on front-runners.
SIERRA SUNSET scored last Saturday's G2 Rebel at Oaklawn in what likely was his "derby" of 2008, capitalizing on a great draw and sweet trip behind a runaway leader incapable of carrying the day. His regional rise lends credence to his former west coast running-mates and goes to show that those synthetics alumni had better be respected. Runner-up KING'S SILVER SON has been one the COUNTDOWN's most talked-about breakout runners of the season, and he even outran my expectations with a strong-closing second in the Rebel. Remember, this is a horse who missed almost a month after his bulb-lighting maiden score at Fair Grounds. He's sitting on a huge performance in the Arkansas Derby, and rates the one to beat next month unless a national heavyweight enters the ring. Stablemate Z FORTUNE simply didn't cut it in his local debut, finishing a terribly disappointing fifth with no real relevant on-track excuses. I'd like to see him in the G2 Lexington at 1-1/16 miles next, but owner Ahmed Zayat appears to be fishing in deeper-stocked ponds this spring, so I doubt that will be the port of call. I'm not interested if he's back in the Arkansas Derby after seeing his OP unveiling.
LIBERTY BULL overcame a tough post draw and was clearly best in $600,000 WinStar Derby, but when a 3-race maiden runs second (SCREEN TO SCREEN for Bob Baffert), the "wow" factor fizzles. This is a very strong Ohio Derby, West Virginia Derby-type performer for Tom Amoss, but I'm not buying him for the bigger dances. The good thing for 'BULL is that Amoss historically doesn't have Triple Crown fever and has no shame in bagging six-figure stakes instead of force-feeding horses where they don't belong. LIBERTY BULL certainly deserves to get one shot against the heavies, most likely the Arkansas Derby, given his affinity for the OP strip.
Now, about that WAR PASS character. You don't see 1-to-20 shots everyday, much less those who run last while not in physical distress. The very reason I fell in love with WAR PASS last summer in his debut at Saratoga came back to bite him in the Tampa Bay Derby. At the Spa, he broke terribly, rushed up to contention and forgot to stop. He kept running all the way to the 2-year-old championship. Debut horses who break in a mess and rush up often retreat in the lane. WAR PASS proved to be different.
But WAR PASS' gate antics returned Saturday at Tampa, tossing his head before the start and breaking a step slow, which allowed 2 inferior horses to take his space. After watching the head-on replay about 842 times this week, the gate bumping has been vastly overrated in the racing press. Great horses overcome starts far worse than that. Watch Barbaro's Derby break and you'll get what I mean. Subway commuters take more devastating shoves on a daily basis than what WAR PASS witnessed at Tampa. His inability to overcome that in a route race separates him from his sprint debut success, and harkens back to War Emblem, whose minor stumble in the 2002 Belmont Stakes out-ed him as a classics fraud and one-trick speed pony. WAR PASS might come back and win the Wood Memorial with a clean trip and loose lead; remember War Emblem annexed the Haskell after being exposed. But demand perfect conditions.
BIG TRUCK scored the Tampa Bay Derby in a performance lost in the headlines. But he was just okay. So much for fancy analysis, huh? Remember, the horses running 5-6-7 throughout in this 7-horse field wound up 1-2-3 when longshot roulette duelers crapped out on the engine and WAR PASS went into retreat. Barclay Tagg would be the last trainer in America to get delusions of grandeur, and I can't imagine him thinking anything other than "we got away with one here." BIG TRUCK is a very serviceable, nice 3-year-old, and one with a summer date at short odds in graded races like the Leonard Richards at Delaware Park. He had the edge in recent efforts over runner-up ATONED, and it helped him in a dogged stretch battle. Of these two in a rematch, I would lean heavily to ATONED, who needed the Tampa race and figures to deserve a considerable look in his next start depending on whom he hooks. He's talented, but might be a slight cut below the best, regardless of seasoning.
In a light week of undercard races around the nation last week, easily the top performance went to the Steve Asmussen-trained KODIAK KOWBOY, who dominated a Friday ALW at Oaklawn. His final time of 1:10.21 for 6 panels was extremely fast over a decidedly dull surface, and he opened up 6 lengths through the lane over G3-placed SEBASTIAN COUNTY. Expect him next in the Lafayette at Keeneland, still sprinting.
As for 2-turn prospects, Bobby Barnett (of Answer Lively repute) has a late-running ace who could be an Illinois Derby factor in JAZZ IN THE PARK. He won his second straight Fair Grounds route last Friday, moving last-to-first despite miserably slow fractions and facing just five rivals -- factors that both typically lead to front-end dominance. He ran the final quarter-mile in a very stout :24.51 over that long FG lane and chased down the classy RILEY TUCKER, graded-stakes placed last year in the Saratoga Special and Arlington-Washington Futurity.
Rubber Necking
Each week, we'll give you a race video worth a second look. One runner familiar with Turfway's Polytrack surface before Saturday's G2 Lane's End is CHITOZ. The Todd Pletcher trainee ran a solid second over this track last fall. Let's take a look at that Kentucky Cup Juvenile performance. Video, courtesy of the NTRA.com Race Video Archive, here. My take? CHITOZ (wearing #9) looked comfortable in stride from the beginning and handled the track very well, but lost too much ground on both turns to finish with any flair. However, his running lines suggest he's often lacking late punch no matter the trip, so 1-1/8 miles will be tough for him Saturday.
Quick Hitters
Next week's menu includes the Grade 1 $1 million Florida Derby from Gulfstream, where potential stars BIG BROWN and HEY BYRN make their big-time debuts. Peruvian wonder-horse TOMCITO fired a bullet drill at Gulfstream last week in preparation for his stateside debut and those three make this one of the most intriguing preps of the entire season. BIG BROWN countered with a 5F bullet on Wednesday at Palm Meadows ... WAR PASS rose from 9-2 to 8-1 odds in the Wynn Las Vegas Derby futures book ... Look for Julien Leparoux to be aboard DENIS OF CORK in the Wood Memorial on April 5, a race in which Garrett Gomez has opted to ride COURT VISION instead of west coaster COLONEL JOHN, who gets Corey Nakatani back for the Santa Anita Derby.
High Fives
Jeremy Plonk's Top 5-rated performances this year by class. (Dec. 26-present)
Maiden Race
1. CROWN OF THORNS - Santa Anita 1/1 (injured)
2. ADMIRALTY - Gulfstream 2/21
3. UNDERSTATEMENT - Gulfstream 2/7
4. READY'S ECHO - Gulfstream 3/5
5. HOODS UP - Santa Anita 12/26
Allowance Race
1. WAR PASS - Gulfstream Park 2/24
2. TEXAS WILDCATTER - Philly Park 12/28
3. ADRIANO - Gulfstream 1/11 (turf)
4. HEY BYRN - Gulfstream 2/10
5. BIG BROWN - Gulfstream 3/5
Stakes Race
1. PYRO - Risen Star 2/9
2. EL GATO MALO - San Rafael 1/12
3. PYRO -- Louisiana Derby 3/8
4. GEORGIE BOY - San Vicente 2/10
5. COLONEL JOHN - Sham 3/1
Put 'Em In The Gate
Can't wait for May 3? This section ranks my Top 20 and puts horses in the gate if the race was this weekend. Remember, this isn't about how they'll be on Derby Day, but rather how they rate today with Derby ability at 1-1/4 miles a main factor. This will be a fluid list over the the spring.
Think I'm off my rocker? Send your Top 20 list to me, jplonk@hotmail.com, and I'll pick one fan's list each week to appear in Countdown to the Crown right next to mine. Please put "TOP 20" in the subject line and include your state of residence!
JEREMY'S TOP 20: ELEVENTH WEEK OF 2008 SEASON1 Pyro 11 Ferragamo
2 Colonel John 12 Elysium Fields
3 Georgie Boy 13 Hey Byrn
4 Court Vision 14 Tale of Ekati
5 El Gato Malo 15 Cool Coal Man
6 Visionaire 16 Big Brown
7 Denis of Cork 17 Sierra Sunset (new)
8 War Pass 18 King's Silver Son (new)
9 Texas Wildcatter 19 Z Fortune
10 Blackberry Road 20 Atoned (new)
READER-SUBMITTED TOP 20 FROM LINDA IN COLORADO 1 Big Brown 11 Visionaire
2 Pyro 12 Tomcito
3 Denis of Cork 13 Elysium Fields
4 Colonel John 14 Sierra Sunset
5 War Pass 15 Fierce Wind
6 Georgie Boy 16 Eight Belles (filly)
7 Court Vision 17 Texas Wildcatter
8 El Gato Malo 18 Hey Byrn
9 Cool Coal Man 19 Atoned
10 Blackberry Road 20 Big Truck
by Jason Shandler
Updated: March 22, 2008
Pyro is the perfect example of how extraordinary Thoroughbreds can reveal their potential early with a certain look and feel that is different than your average horse.
It wasnt just because he had done anything amazing on the track, though. It was the way he carried himself," said Evan Downing, assistant to trainer Steve Asmussen, March 21 at Keeneland, where Pyro is training for the April 12 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I).
Long before Pyro became a multiple graded stakes winner and the leading contender for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), grooms, exercise ridesrs, and jockeys alike knew they were handling something special.
"We could sense it," Downing continued. "(Regular jockey) Shaun (Bridgmohan) said that, too. As soon as he rode him for the first time, he said immediately that this is going to be a nice horse. And everybody else who rode him said that as well."
Downing spoke about the son of Pulpit as he calmly stood in Barn 36 at Keeneland, which will be his home for at least the next three weeks. Pyro, who is owned and bred by Winchell Thoroughbreds, arrived at Keeneland March 19, along with his other 40-plus stablemates.
Hes a very adaptable animal. He has settled in very nicely, she said. Hell have his first work (March 24) when Steve gets here, and hell work once a week leading up to the Blue Grass."
Downing said Pyro, who is out of the Wild Again mare Wild Vision, has matured a great deal as a 3-year-old. Aside from putting on about 250-300 pounds, Pyro has become more relaxed, she said.
When he was a 2-year-old, he was a little bit of a boy brat, and he actually tried to kick the daylights out of me, Downing said. He could definitely act a little studdish. Now he is more relaxed and has taken on more of a manly look. But even though he acted up a little bit in the beginning, he has always been a very confident horse, and was like that even when he first came up to Churchill from Laredo (Texas, where Asmussens father, Keith, broke him).
"He has always been pretty sure of himself. He never had any type of nervous energy about him, which you see sometimes. Things just dont seem to rattle him. When he gets excited its because he feels good, but he definitely doesnt have fragile nerves.
Pyros easy-going demeanor can be seen in his racing style. Usually breaking slowly from the gate, the dark bay colt seems to bide his time on the backstretch before unleashing his furious assault on the lead around the final turn and into the stretch. Nowhere was that more evident than in the Feb. 9 Risen Star Stakes (gr. III), in which he went from last to first in what seemed like an instant. A convincing victory followed in the March 8 Louisiana Derby (gr. II).
Still, Downing said, his connections knew Pyro was capable of big things before those two wins.
We felt he was going to do big things before he even raced, said Downing, who has been an assistant with Asmussen for three years. We had been working him with horses that were already graded stakes winners and he eyeballed them. We threw him into stout company right away and he always handled it. We kind of knew that this was a horse that wed been waiting for.
by Steve Haskin
Updated: March 25, 2008
Despite being ranked No. 1 or 2 on just about every Derby poll, Pyro, for some reason, has been branded by many a slow horse and simply the best of a bad lot. Yes, the pace in his two starts this year has been slow, and his final times have not exactly set the Fair Grounds teletimer aflame, but is this horse really as slow as many of the experts say he is?
His Beyer numbers have been called modest. His speed figures have been termed slow. One line in a column referred to Pyros two slow victories at Fair Grounds. One pollster, who had him ranked No. 1 all year, dropped him to No. 2 in a week in which he didnt even run, nor did the horse who replaced him atop the list. The pollster, upon second thought, had felt that perhaps the colts accomplishments were an illusion, and pointed out that he was a faster horse last year.
The odd part is that Pyro was 1-for-4 last year, losing three times to War Pass, and is 2-for-2 this year, winning both his starts by daylight.
On the Beyers, Pyro ran a 105 in the Bessemer Trust Breeders Cup Juvenile (gr. I), a number that is only a few points below many Derby-winning figures. This year, he is slowly heading back to that number, running a 90 and a 95. Many people feel that 95 is still too low for a top Derby contender, and while that may be true on Derby Day, Pyro has shown he can run much faster, and no other 3-year-old has run higher than a 99 in two-turn stakes competition this year. So if Pyros Beyers are slow, whose are fast? Sierra Sunset (99), who is off the Derby trail, Cool Coal Man (98), Visionaire (98), Elysium Fields (97), Denis of Cork (96), and Nikkisgoldensteed (96) are not exactly tearing up the track, and none of these have a triple-digit Beyer to fall back on, as Pyro does. Who wants their horse to tear up the track in February and March anyway?
On Thoro-Graph, Pyro ran a negative-1 in the BC Juvenile. The only horse to run that fast this year going two turns is allowance winner Hey Byrn. The fastest two-turn stakes horses have been Denis of Cork with a 1/4, Elysium Fields and Big Brown with a 1, and Sierra Sunset with a 1 1/2. Well, Pyro, who clearly has not been honed for his top effort, has run a 3 1/2 followed by a 2. So, even though he still has a lot more improvement left in him, hes already right there with the fastest 3-year-olds.
Hes doing almost identically what Carl Nafzger did with Street Sense, said Thoro-Graphs Jerry Brown. Both horses ran well enough at two to win the Derby. Its not a question of having them improve; its just a question of having them get back to their best race. Both these trainers have clearly taken a path where theyre not going to have the horse expend any extra energy before then, and in both cases they decided to run on Polytrack in their last start before the Derby. Nafzger already knew his horse didnt love the surface, and Asmussen is smart and knows that all he has to do is basically get this horse back to where he was. Hes clearly thinking about getting the horse to run his best race on Derby Day and I think hes doing everything right. At this point, I believe hes the most likely winner of the Derby.
Everybody gets excited about races in February, and Derbys are not won in February. I think a lot of trainers these days are essentially manufacturing patterns, whether its the influence of speed sheets or not. Todd Pletcher seems to think that way, and Asmussen clearly thinks that way. Whether or not theyre looking at our data or Ragozins, theyre thinking in terms of a pattern.
Asmussens pattern appears to have Pyro improving speed-wise every race without making a huge leap too soon and then having to resort to what Denis of Corks connections were forced to do, which is skip a scheduled race to await a later race, all because the horse made a big jump from a 6 3/4 to a 1/4.
Garrett Gomez agent Ron Anderson, who follows the Ragozin figures, still fears Pyro and believes hes in a class by himself. The Derby is his race to lose, for me, he said. I think Asmussen is making all the right moves with him. Horses dont accelerate on the dirt like he did in the Risen Star (gr. III). That was breathtaking. When people tell me he didnt beat anything I just walk away. I think hes unbeatable. If he should draw a bad post and runs into four blind switches, and has everything go wrong, then he can get beat. But if he only runs into three blind switches hes still gonna win. I just think hes a better horse.
Pyro has been called by an opposing owner a physical monster, and you dont want a physical monster flexing his muscles and lifting his highest weight before the first Saturday in May. By prepping on Polytrack, often times a much slower surface than dirt, all Pyro has to do in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I) is pair up that 2, give or take a half a point, and that should set him up for his peak performance, returning to the dirt on May 3..
Yes, it all sounds so simple, but were just exploring another aspect of handicapping the Derby before the major stakes begin next Saturday with the Florida Derby (gr. I). Thats when the regular season commences and we start separating the men from the boys, as they face stiffer competition and larger, deeper fields. Pyros detractors could prove to be correct, but at this point, he really hasnt done anything wrong and has far less question marks than any of the other Derby contenders.
Has the Cork already been popped?
The more one examines the last-minute decision to skip the Rebel Stakes with Denis of Cork to await the Wood Memorial three weeks later, the more it appears to be an act that defies all tradition. Yes, the times definitely are changing, and numbers and speed figures have superseded logic, common sense, and plain old horsemanship. Were now in an era where owners rely more and more on advisors, who tend to over-analyze and over-scrutinize. We cant say for certain that the decision is going to severely compromise the colts chances in the Derby. What we can say is that the decision puts a much heavier burden on the shoulders of Denis of Cork, who is going to have to single-handedly rewrite the book on Derby preparation. If he is unable to, you cannot go back and start over.
We know owner William K. Warren to be a classy guy who loves the sport, and were sure he believes hes doing the right thing, and maybe he is. But now we learn that jockey Robby Albarado, who rode Denis of Cork to victory in the Southwest Stakes (gr. III), has elected to ride Country Star in a one-shot deal in the Ashland Stakes (gr. I) rather than ride a horse who is one of the favorites for the Kentucky Derby. Can anyone recall such a move?
So, Denis of Cork loses the benefit of a valuable prep race and his rider in the span of one week. All of a sudden the firm rope the colt was using to scale racings highest mountain has started to unravel.
At this point, there is no right or wrong. How the colt does in the Derby will determine which one applies here. The only question that exists is, can Denis of Cork go into the Derby off only one race in 11 weeks and only four career starts and accomplish something that hasnt been done in 90 years?
With his talent, maybe he can, but if he cant then Warren and whoever is advising him will have to wonder what might have been had they left the natural order of things alone.
Adriano joins the Poly party
Although Saturdays Lanes End Stakes (gr. II) packed a purse of $500,000 and provided one lucky horse with a guaranteed starting berth in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), most everyone was aware before the race that it would likely result in more questions than answers, regardless of the outcome.
It wasnt so much that it was run on Polytrack (remember Hard Spun and Street Sense last year), it was that the field was made up predominantly of horses who had excelled on synthetic surfaces or grass and had not fared nearly as well on dirt. The only graded stakes winner on any surface in the field of 12 was the dead-heat winner of the grade III Delta Jackpot at Delta Downs on dirt. The other stakes winners had scored victories in the Swynford Stakes and Ocala Breeders Sales Championship on Polytrack and the King Cugat on turf. So, this certainly didnt look like a major thoroughfare on the road to the Derby.
As it turned out, the Lanes End Stakes was what it was -- a decent field that did not answer a single question regarding the Derby. The main question surrounded the impressive winner, Adriano, who has looked like a world beater on grass and Polytrack, but who was a major bust in his only appearance on dirt.
So, is this son of A.P. Indy a legitimate Derby contender or just a turf/Poltrack specialist? Who knows? That is the recurring theme of this years Kentucky Derby, as it will be in Derbys to come. Then you have the runner-up, Halo Najib, who was 2-for-2 on synthetic surfaces and 0-for-4 on dirt, and third-place finisher, Medjool, who has never seen a dirt track in life. The son of Derby winner Monarchos broke from post 12 and raced extremely wide every step of the way, suggesting big things to come.
But the winner was much the best, opening a clear lead on the turn and winning under wraps by 2 1/2 lengths with a final eighth in :12 2/5. Had this race been on dirt, hed certainly make a huge leap up most everyones Derby lists. From a visual standpoint, he appears to be a horse who has the looks, the pedigree, and the action to be a serious Derby contender. Off the Lanes End, it would be difficult to deny him a chance at the Derby, but they will be gambling heavily that his one dismal race on dirt was an aberration. There has been talk of running him in the Coolmore Lexington Stakes (gr. II), but that wont tell us any more than we already know.
The two other stakes over the weekend, the Rushaway Stakes at Turfway, won by Big Glen, and the Private Terms Stakes at Laurel, won by Double or Nothing, should have no impact at all on the Derby picture.
Court is back in session
The Fountain of Youth (gr. II) seems like ages ago, and one of the horses in the race seems to have faded a bit in our memory. That is Court Vision, who, believe it or not, was our early top-ranked Derby horse prior to his third-place finish at Gulfstream off a three-month layoff. Now, as live Derby horses seem harder and harder to find, the vision of Court Vision as a major Derby contender seems to be returning sharper and clearer.
After all, he did run third, coming from a dozen lengths back in last on a track that was favoring speed. And he did have to go seven-wide at the top of the stretch. And he did draw clear of the rest of the horses, finishing 2 1/4 lengths ahead of the third-place finisher. By the time he leveled off and got in gear, Cool Coal Man and Elysium Fields were long gone. But because of how little running he actually did, combined with his average speed ratings and the fact that hell have only two starts before the Derby, he desperately needs a hard race in the Wood Memorial (gr. I).
This horse has proven to be tough and tenacious, and a relentless stretch runner who can overcome adversity. He showed that in his victories in the Iroquois (gr. III) and Remsen (gr. II) when he somehow was able to run down Halo Najib and Atoned, respectively, after appearing totally beaten.
He has the breeding and the 2-year-old foundation, and trainer Bill Mott says hes been more aggressive in his training and is improving steadily. When Anderson and Gomez decided to take the mount on Court Vision in the Wood Memorial rather than ride Colonel John in the Santa Anita Derby (gr. I) the same day it brought Court Vision back into full focus.
So, why did they choose Court Vision? He closed on a track that you cant really be that far back on, its Bill Mott, hes won at Aqueduct, hes well seasoned, WinStar owns both horses, Colonel John has never run on dirt, and I think Kathy Walshs horse (Georgie Boy) is going be very tough in the Santa Anita Derby (gr. I), Anderson said. It wasnt an easy call, but I really like my horse.
As for his race in the Fountain of Youth, Anderson said, Garrett had it in his mind that if he let him run away from there early and he wound up going in the other direction at the end of the race, that would have been counter-productive for later on. He took probably a little more hold of him than he really wanted, because he hadnt been out, but he put in a wicked run for a little while and then flattened out a bit like he needed the race. Billy thinks hes coming on now, so thats where Im at.
Dont forget about Numaany
If next Saturdays UAE Derby (UAE-II) is going to have any Derby implications its going to be with Godolphins Etched and Numaany or American invader Massive Drama. Etched, a brilliant 2-year-old in the States who was fourth in the UAE Two Thousand Guineas (UAU-III) in his 3-year-old debut, is bred to be a miler and must prove that he wants to go farther. The same applies to Massive Drama, who was given over to Dale Romans in Zayat Stables 3-year-old shake up earlier this year. And then we come to Numaany, who looks to be the one legitimate Kentucky Derby hopeful in this race a horse who has the pedigree to run long and who looks to be coming around at the right time.
Many people remember Numaany for bolting in the stretch in a 1 1/8-mile maiden race at Aqueduct and somehow still winning by daylight in one of the most bizarre finishes youll ever see. Following an even fifth-place finish in the UAE Guineas at a distance shorter than his best, he stretched out to about 1 1/8 miles in the March 6 Mujahid Al Bastakiya and ran a terrific race to finish third, setting all the pace and battling hard the length of the stretch against two older horses from the Southern Hemisphere. Although he was in receipt of 13 pounds from the winner, Royal Vintage, who had finished second in the UAE Guineas, he did manage to improve seven lengths on the South African-bred. If he can lay off the pace, as hes done in the past, and finish well in the UAE Derby, he could be an exciting addition to the Kentucky Derby picture. Running against all those tough Southern Hemisphere horses, he doesnt have to win, just show enough improvement and be competitive again. If he should win or be right there, were looking at a live horse on Derby Day.
By A.P. Indy, out of the Nijinsky mare Munnaya, who in turn is out of an Alydar mare, Numaany certainly has the pedigree and is improving with each start. And more important, hes a good deal more professional than he was last year. If he does make it to the starting gate on May 3 he would give Godolphin their best chance ever in the Run for the Roses.
If Etched should win the UAE Derby impressively, which he is capable of, then he would be their most serious Derby contender. But his pedigree is not nearly as strong at 10 furlongs as Numannys.
Derby Belles are ringing
Rick Porter, who had a ball on the Triple Crown trail last year with the indefatigable Hard Spun, has nominated his brilliant filly Eight Belles to the Arkansas Derby (gr. II) as an alternative to the Fantasy Stakes (gr. II). Porter also said he is seriously considering putting up the late nomination fee for the Triple Crown, due March 29. So, that certainly whets ones appetite, especially after Rags to Riches historic conquest in last years Belmont Stakes (gr. I).
There is no doubt that Eight Belles is an exceptional filly following her runaway victories in an allowance race and the Martha Washington Stakes, followed by her first graded stakes victory in the Honeybee Stakes (gr. III), which she won much easier than the margin would suggest, while defeating two top-class fillies in the previously undefeated Pure Clan and three-time stakes winner Kadira.
While Eight Belles certainly looks capable enough of giving the boys a tussle, it must be noted that she has not been farther than 1 1/16 miles, and if youre a Beyer pundit, her figures have gone from a 100 to a 96 to a 91. But she did run the same time as the colts in the Rebel Stakes (gr. III) the day before, while winning eased up in a common gallop. It also should be pointed out that she is by Unbridled's Song and is inbred to Mr. Prospector and three times to Raise a Native.
There are plenty of Unbridleds Songs who have been tough, sound horses, such as Octave, but you always have to tread a little carefully when youre so heavily loaded with Raise a Native and Mr. Prospector. As of now, Eight Belles, with eight starts at distances ranging from 5 1/2 furlongs to 1 1/16 miles, looks to be a brilliant and sound filly.
If the Derby is being seriously considered, one would think the Arkansas Derby would be the way to go rather than have her stretch out from another 1 1/16-mile race to 1 1/4 miles. Also, running in a big field against the boys would give her a taste of what shed be facing on Derby Day. Its just a question of how Porter and trainer Larry Jones feel about running her back in three weeks. Whatever their decision, Eight Belles will spice up either the Derby or the Oaks, and her future is limitless right now.
In other Derby news:
Elysium Fields (six furlongs in 1:12) and Big Brown (five furlongs in a bullet 1:00 2/5) both are sharp for Saturdays Florida Derby (gr. I). Colonel John worked five furlongs in :59 3/5 for the Santa Anita Derby (gr. I). Also keeping sharp for the Santa Anita Derby was El Gato Malo, who drilled seven furlongs in 1:24 3/5, which should put a little more bottom into him. Denis of Cork continues to train well, breezing five furlongs in 1:00 4/5 at Fair Grounds.
Have there ever been three more intriguing and unusual horses in a grade I Derby prep than Peruvian superstar Tomcito and the spectacular, but untested, allowance winners Big Brown and Hey Byrn? With other intriguing unknowns in the field such as Face the Cat, the Florida Derby should provide plenty of fireworks.
Quote of the week: In a Q&A in the New York Post, famed basketball coach Rick Pitino, who campaigned Kentucky Derby starter A P Valentine, was asked: What would it mean to have one of your horses win a Kentucky Derby? Pitinos answer: It wouldnt be that big a deal to me. Its just a hobby, its a fun thing.
Using the leeward side of the viewing stand that overlooks the Payson Park training track to brace himself against brisk winds and 53-degree temperatures, the horseman stood trackside beneath a high sky awaiting the final horse in his second set of the morning to come into view.
On foot or astride his pony, Bill Mott never takes his eyes off the prize.
Extending my hand, I gave my standard wiseguy greeting to anyone who hadnt returned a recent phone call. You must have me on your pay-no-mind list.
Ive been a little busy, said the youngest trainer ever inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame, now moving away from the concrete windbreaker and ducking under the outside rail onto the Payson surface, stopwatch in right hand.
Almost at once, a gorgeous, long-striding chestnut came flying into view. Here comes a horse that won the Sunshine Millions and finished second in the Big Cap, the trainer said.
Go Between? After Mott nodded yes, what I left unsaid was that Garrett Gomez gave him a brilliant ride in the Sunshine Classic, and that 5-1 was a square price.
In the next instant Mott was gone. Going back to the barn. Ive got one more set to go out. See you over there, he motioned, pointing in the direction of barn 3-B.
I climbed the steps of the viewing stand to get a better view of the deepish, one mile oval. I asked Shug McGaughey if the gloves he was wearing were for sale. He smiled to acknowledge the not so facetious question but clearly never entertained the notion.
We chatted, lamenting the current quality of the day-to-day fare at Gulfstream Park. McGaughey worries that if present decline of top class racing at Gulfstream is allowed to continue another few years the track might never recover. His is not a minority view.
Returning to the stands leeward side where I first encountered Mott, Nick Caras and Humberto Chavez, both of the New York division of Race Track Chaplaincy of America, were informing horsemen there would be a worship service at 7:30 p.m. at the dorms by the basketball court.
Moving 20 feet in our direction, Christophe Clement walked over, extended a greeting, smiled, and said: This looks like a good place to be, a handicapper on one side and a chaplain on the other.
A regular kidder that Clement.
Back at Barn 3-B, Mott was making sure that Court Vision--a strong-finish Fountain of Youth third and who runs next in the Wood Memorial a week from Saturday--was comfortable, that the blanket was comfy snug but not too tight. I thought he ran good in the Fountain of Youth. He was just too far back at [for Gulfstream]. But if he wants to give us a reason to go to the Derby with a good chance, he needs to run a strong race in the Wood.
Majestic Warrior, who runs in Saturdays Florida Derby, is doing very well. On its face that would be trainer speak, but from Mott its high praise. He made a big move in [the Louisiana Derby], got something out of it, and came back good. The race took nothing out of him, didnt set him back.
Theres no added pressure on Mott or the horse even if Majestic Warrior was bred by George Steinbrenner, who retains a major interest in the colt. He would love to be in the [Derby], but not just to be in it.
When I ran Blue Burner, it was my choice. He was second in the Florida Derby and fourth in the Wood and thought he earned his chance. Well see where were at with [Majestic Warrior] on Saturday and go from there. Im still learning about him, still trying to figure him out.
In the stall directly adjacent to Majestic Warriors is Z Humor, Motts third Derby hopeful, who runs next in the Illinois Derby, same day as the Wood. His effort will determine his [Kentucky Derby] status. We need to see where he fits.
When conjuring up Bill Mott, what comes to mind is a deliberate demeanor that doesnt offer more than is asked, probably the South Dakota in him. His words are measured, as if carefully thought through the instant before speaking. He gives the impression of a man constantly playing a game of chess with himself.
Im sitting on some nice horses, Mott admitted. Ive been excited all winter. You get up in the morning thinking about what youre going to do that day. You need to do it right, and youve got to do it right for everybody. You have to figure out the best way to get them there.
Then he allowed himself this. Id just like to be on the lead at the eighth pole in the Derby. Then he threw his head back, and laughed.
If you havent settled on your Derby pick, you are not alone. Finding a legitimate contender has not been an easy task. I dont think weve seen a break-out performance for the sophomore class of 2008. The Triple Crown prep races to date have been mediocre at best, as shown by this years winners and their Beyer Speed Figures:
Crown of Thorns RB Lewis S: 93
Pyro Risen Star S: 89
Fierce Wind Sam Davis S: 89
Denis of Cork Southwest S: 96
Cool Coal Man Fountain of Youth: 98
Colonel John Sham S: 86
Pyro Louisiana Derby: 95
Visionaire Gotham S: 98
Big Truck Tampa Bay Derby: 93
Georgie Boy San Felipe S: 93
Sierra Sunset Rebel S: 99
Adrianno Lanes End S: 92
So far no runner has shown himself to be able to run a 100+ figure over a 2-turn route, almost a prerequisite to be a Derby contender worthy of serious consideration. The lack of a top performance is an oddity in 2008. With Crown of Thorns and Sierra Sunset off the trail, the remaining 9 names up there may be the current top contenders, but they arent exactly going to scare anyone away on Derby day.
In most years, spotting the Derby contenders is a different exercise. By this point in the chase, there have usually been a number of brilliant performances at a mile or a mile and a 1/16th. Yet despite running 3-digit Beyer Speed figures at shorter distances, most of these precocious runners find themselves tested at 1 1/8th, and prove out of their element trying 1 1/4 miles on the first Saturday in May. This year there havent been any brilliant efforts to ponder. Adriannos Lanes End win looked awfully solid, and as a son of A P Indy, he looked positioned to be a perfect Derby contender. But by the Monday after the race, two things came to light: The race was slow (92) and his trainer, Graham Motion, considers the horse very unlikely for the Derby. If the trainer doesnt believe, neither should you. So historically speaking, not a single 2008 prep would be considered an above average race (Sorry, Pyro fans).
So the best thing to do is ignore what youve seen so far and expect that the best is still to come. The remaining key races are:
March 29th Florida Derby
April 5th Wood Memorial
April 5th Santa Anita Derby
April 5th Illinois Derby
April 12th Arkansas Derby
April 12th Blue Grass Stakes
April 19th Lexington Stakes
Winning or gaining in the stretch of its final 1 1/8th prep is a key indicator of a horses Derby merit. Big Brown will get a lot of play in the Florida Derby this Saturday. His 104 speed figure in his most recent start going 1 1/8th at Gulfstream Park makes him look like a standout. But before you take short odds, remember that the horse earned his speed figure in an off-the-turf allowance beating just 4 other horses. Expect both Fierce Wind and Elysium Fields to put in a good showing. But if these runners cant raise their game to the next level, they will not be a factor on Derby day even if they do win in Florida.
Posted March 28, 2008
Corey Nakatani and Colonel John will reunite in the Santa Anita Derby on April 5. After two wins and a second in three races together last year, the pair was separated for the Grade III Sham Stakes on March 1 while Nakatani was recovering from a fractured right collarbone.
Garrett Gomez rode Colonel John to a half-length victory in the Sham, but Gomez committed to Court Vision in the Wood at Aqueduct, leaving the door open for Nakatani and Colonel Johns reunion under the leadership of trainer Eion Harty.
Eoin knows what I think of the horse, said Nakatani. He knows I have the utmost confidence in Colonel John going into the Triple Crown races. I know how far hes developed, and where hes at. I thought he was probably at 80 percent in the Sham, so he should move forward in the Santa Anita Derby.
Eoin probably was on the same page as me going into the Sham, and then I got hurt. Fortunately, I got him back, and Im looking forward to the Santa Anita Derby and the Triple Crown races.
Nakatani, 37, remains hopeful he will one day win the Santa Anita Derby and the Kentucky Derby. He's winless in 12 tries in the Santa Anita Derby and has never won the Kentucky Derby, also in 12 attempts.
Those are two goals I have to accomplish, he said. Im still young and Ive got a long way to go.
By Jon White
SHOCK METER
People understandably are still talking about War Pass shocking loss as a 1-20 favorite in the Grade III Tampa Bay Derby on March 15. Its one thing for such a heavy favorite to lose. Its quite another for a favorite like that to lose by 23 1/4 lengths.
This certainly must rank high on the Kentucky Derby Prep Shock Meter. But is this the biggest shock in, say, the last 40 years? Let me be clear. Im not talking about a shock in terms of an upset winner, such as when Brians Time won the 1988 Florida Derby 67-1, or when Bull inthe Heather won the Florida Derby in 1993 at 60-1. Im taking about a shocking loss by a heavy favorite.
So here is my list of the Top 20 losses on the Kentucky Derby Prep Shock Meter in the last 40 years:
20. RISEN STAR, second in the 1988 Lecomte Handicap (3-10 entry in the wagering). Risen Star was coming off a 10-length allowance win in his 1988 debut. But in the Lecomte, he finished second when upset by Pastourelles. Risen Star went on to win three straight (taking the Derby Trial Handicap at the Fair Grounds, the Louisiana Derby at that track and the Lexington Stakes over Forty Niner at Keeneland) before finishing third behind Winning Colors and Forty Niner in the Kentucky Derby. Risen Star then took the Preakness Stakes and romped to a 14 3/4-length victory in the Belmont Stakes. The Lecomte was one of only three losses by Risen Star in 11 lifetime starts.
19. WINNING COLORS, second in the 1988 Las Virgenes Stakes (7-10). Because Winning Colors was a filly, it was not really realized at the time that this loss belonged on the Kentucky Derby Prep Shock Meter, or else this would rank higher. Winning Colors was three for three going into the Las Virgenes. She lost the Las Virgenes by a neck to Goodbye Halo. In the Santa Anita Oaks, Winning Colors won in isolated splendor by eight lengths, with Goodbye Halo third. Winning Colors then trounced males in the Santa Anita Derby, winning by 7 1/2 lengths. Four weeks later, she joined Regret and Genuine Risk as the only fillies to ever win the Kentucky Derby. Winning Colors was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2000.
18. HOLY BULL, sixth in the 1994 Fountain of Youth Stakes (6-5). Holy Bull was five for five going into this race, yet lost by 24 1/4 lengths. This would rank higher on the list if Holy Bull had been a shorter price in the wagering. Also, the shock value was mitigated by the strength of the field, which included Dehere, the Eclipse Award-winning 2-year-old male champion, and Go for Gin, 8 1/2-length winner of the Remsen Stakes at 2. Dehere and Go for Gin finished first and second, respectively, in the Fountain of Youth. But this still was a shocking loss for Holy Bull in the context that it would be one of his only two defeats in 15 starts until he was pulled up with an injury against Cigar in the 1995 Donn Handicap. Holy Bulls only other loss at 3 was when he finished 12th in the Kentucky Derby.
17. SWALE, third in the 1984 Fountain of Youth Stakes (2-5). Swale went into the Fountain of Youth with a four-race winning streak, having taken the Futurity at Belmont, Breeders Futurity at Keeneland, Young America Stakes at the Meadowlands and Hutcheson Stakes at Gulfstream Park. But in the Fountain of Youth, Swale finished third behind Darn That Alarm and Counterfeit Money.
16. AFLEET ALEX, sixth in the 2005 Rebel Stakes (7-10). Afleet Alex had finished first or second in all seven of his starts going into the Rebel. In his 2005 debut, he had overcome trouble to win the Mountain Valley Stakes decisively by 2 3/4 lengths. So it was shocking to watch him struggle home in the Rebel. After the Rebel, trainer Tim Ritchey reported that Afleet Alex had come out of the race with a serious lung infection. The colt rebounded to take the Arkansas Derby by eight lengths. Afleet Alex then finished a close third in the Kentucky Derby before giving one of the greatest performances in Triple Crown history when he won the Preakness Stakes by almost five lengths despite clipping heels and stumbling badly coming into the stretch. He subsequently took the Belmont Stakes by seven lengths in what would be the final start of his career.
15. FORTY NINER, second in the 1988 Hutcheson Stakes (7-10). This was the 3-year-old debut for Forty Niner, who had been voted the Eclipse Award as champion 2-year-old following a campaign in which he won five of six starts. He had put together a four-race winning streak going into the Hutcheson, his initial start at 3. But in the Hutcheson, Forty Niner finished second, a length behind Perfect Spy. Perfect Spy would win only one other stakes race during his entire career, the Bay Shore. Forty Niner finished a fast-closing second in the Kentucky Derby, losing by a neck to Winning Colors.
14. SEEKING THE GOLD, second in the 1988 Gotham Stakes (3-5). Seeking the Gold was four for four going into this race. Racing for the powerful Ogden Phipps stable, the beautifully bred son of Mr. Prospector and a Buckpasser mare finished second to another undefeated colt, Private Terms, in the Gotham. Although Private Terms was five for five going into the Gotham, he was dismissed in the wagering at 11-1. Thats how strong Seeking the Gold looked, yet he got beat.
13. COPELAN, second in the 1983 Florida Derby (2-5). As a 2-year-old, Copelan won three Grade I races. In many cases, that would have been enough for him to be voted an Eclipse Award as champion 2-year-old male. But the Eclipse, appropriately, went to Roving Boy, who won the Del Mar Futurity, Norfolk Stakes and Hollywood Futurity. Copelan finished fifth in the Hollywood Futurity. However, Copelan had been struck in the eye during the race by a pebble or small clod and lost all chance, Joe Hirsch wrote of the Hollywood Futurity in the American Racing Manual. A son of Tri Jet and the great Susans Girl, Copelan went into the Florida Derby off a victory in the Fountain of Youth Stakes, his first race at 3. Heavily favored in the Florida Derby, Copelan finished second to California shipper Croeso, who paid $172 to win.
12. LORD AVIE, third in the 1981 Fountain of Youth Stakes (2-5). Lord Avie completed his 1980 campaign with consecutive victories in the Cowdin Stakes, Champagne Stakes and Young America Stakes en route to an Eclipse Award as champion 2-year-old male. After he won the Hutcheson Stakes in his 3-year-old debut, nearly everyone expected Lord Avie to win the Fountain of Youth. Hence, he was the 2-5 favorite. But he finished third, beaten by a nose and a head. Akureyr won, with Pleasant Colony second. Pleasant Colony would go on to win the Wood Memorial, Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes.
11. FLY SO FREE, second in the 1991 Blue Grass Stakes (3-10). Fly So Free took home the Eclipse Award as champion 2-year-old male of 1990 after winning the Champagne Stakes by 5 1/4 lengths and the Breeders Cup Juvenile by three lengths. He continued on a roll early at 3, reeling off victories in the Hutcheson Stakes, Fountain of Youth Stakes and Florida Derby. But his five-race winning streak came to an end when he finished second to Strike the Gold in the Blue Grass Stakes. In the Blue Grass, the Eclipse Award-winning Fly So Free lost to a colt still eligible to run in race restricted to non-winners of two races lifetime. But Strike the Gold did parlay his Blue Grass victory into a win in the Kentucky Derby, with Fly So Free fifth.
10. SILENT SCREEN, eighth in the 1970 Flamingo Stakes (3-5). Silent Screen finished second when unveiled at Saratoga at 2, then put together a six-race winning streak. Acclaimed the 2-year-old male champion of 1969, he punctuated his campaign that season with victories in the Arlington-Washington Futurity (the richest race in the nation at the time), Cowdin Stakes and Champagne Stakes. But Silent Screen ran a clunker in the Flamingo, finishing eighth, 12 lengths behind the winner, My Dad George. Silent Screen previously had defeated My Dad George, albeit by only a half-length, in an allowance race at Garden State Park at 2.
9. RIVA RIDGE, fourth in the 1972 Everglades Stakes (3-10). Riva Ridge, the Eclipse Award-winning 2-year-old male of 1972, took a six-race winning streak into the Everglades. He won those six races by margins ranging from 1 1/2 to 11 lengths. But in the Everglades, Riva Ridge finished fourth on a sloppy track. He rebounded to take the Blue Grass Stakes by four lengths and the Kentucky Derby by 3 1/4 lengths, but again finished fourth on a sloppy track in the Preakness Stakes. Back on dry land for the Belmont Stakes, Riva Ridge won by eight lengths. The following year, in one of his better performances, Riva Ridge ran second to stablemate Secretariat in the Marlboro Cup. Riva Ridge was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1998.
8. SWALE, second in the 1984 Lexington Stakes (1-10). After finishing third as a 2-5 favorite in the Fountain of Youth, Swale won the Florida Derby. When he then showed up for the Lexington, he was pounded down to 1-10 favoritism as he appeared to have his opponents at his mercy. But Swale a distant second to He Is a Great Deal, who splashed his way to an eight-length victory. A son of 1977 Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew, Swale would rebound to take the Kentucky Derby by 3 3/4 lengths. He finished seventh in the Preakness Stakes, then rolled to a four-length triumph in the Belmont Stakes prior to his shocking death a week later.
7. JOHANNESBURG, second in the 2002 Gladness Stakes (3-10). Johannesburg compiled a perfect record at 2 while winning in Ireland, England, France and the U.S. After taking the Breeders Cup Juvenile, he was voted the Eclipse Award as champion 2-year-old male. Johannesburg made his first start at 3 in the Group III Gladness Stakes in Ireland. He lost by a nose. Johannesburg also lost the final two starts of his career, finishing eighth in the Kentucky Derby and ninth in the Group I Golden Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot.
6. FAVORITE TRICK, third in the 1998 Arkansas Derby (2-5). Favorite Trick won all eight of his starts at 2 en route to being voted Eclipse Awards as champion 2-year-old male and Horse of the Year. He made it nine for nine by taking the Swale in his 3-year-old debut. But Favorite Trick failed to extend his undefeated streak to 10 in the Arkansas Derby, finishing third. Victory Gallop won the Arkansas Derby by a head, with Hanuman Highway second, a head in front of Favorite Trick. There were those not sold on Favorite Trick at that time. Nevertheless, a loss by an undefeated Horse of the Year after nine consecutive victories certainly must rank high on the Kentucky Derby Prep Shock Meter.
5. GENERAL ASSEMBLY, second in a 1979 Hialeah allowance race (1-10). As a son of Secretariat, much was expected from General Assembly, especially after he began his racing career with a win at Belmont Park. General Assembly made six starts at 2, with three wins and three seconds. At 2, he finished second twice to Sepctacular Bid. When General Assemby made his 3-year-old debut in an allowance race at Hialeah, most thought he was unbeatable, hence his 1-10 price. But General Assembly lost the seven-furlong affair by a head to Coup De Chance. General Assembly later ran second to Spectacular Bid in the Kentucky Derby and won the Travers Stakes by 15 lengths.
4. WAR PASS, seventh in the 2008 Tampa Bay Derby (1-20). Prior to the Tampa Bay Derby, some, including Andrew Beyer of The Washington Post, had compared War Pass with Seattle Slew. Considering where the Eclipse Award-winning 2-year-old male of 2007 finished at such a short price in the Tampa Bay Derby after winning all five of his previous races by a combined 22 lengths, a case can be made to put War Pass even higher on this list. But on my Kentucky Derby Prep Shock Meter, there are three that rank higher.
3. FOOLISH PLEASURE, third in the 1975 Florida Derby (1-5). Going into the Florida Derby, Foolish Pleasure looked invincible to most people. Voted the Eclipse Award as champion 2-year-old male of 1974, he was nine for nine going into the Florida Derby. But he did not emerge from the Florida Derby with his perfect record intact, having finished third behind Prince Thou Art and Sylvan Place. Foolish Pleasure had beaten Prince Thou Art by 1 3/4 lengths in the Flamingo four weeks before the Florida Derby. Following the Florida Derby, Foolish Pleasure regained his winning ways by taking the Wood Memorial and Kentucky Derby. Foolish Pleasure finished second in the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes before his match race with Ruffian in which the legendary filly broke down. Foolish Pleasure was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1995.
2. DEVILS BAG, fourth in the 1984 Flamingo Stakes (3-10). When Devils Bag, the Eclipse Award-winning 2-year-old male of 1983, went postward for the 1984 Flamingo, he did so with, I believe, more of an aura of invincibility than War Pass had going into the Tampa Bay Derby. Devils Bag was six for six going into the Flamingo, winning each of those races by at least three lengths. Devils Bag finished fourth (behind Time for a Change, Dr. Carter and Rexsons Hope) in the Flamingo. It would be the only blemish on his record. After the Flamingo, Devils Bag won an allowance race at Keeneland by 15 lengths and the Derby Trial at Churchill Downs by 2 1/4 lengths. He was retired from racing following the Derby Trial.
1. SECRETARIAT, third in the 1973 Wood Memorial (3-10 entry). Going into the Wood, Secretariat, the 1972 Horse of the Year as a 2-year-old, had finished first in 10 straight. But in the Wood, he ended up third, beaten by stablemate Angle Light and Santa Anita Derby winner Sham. That loss by Secretariat was a shocker at the time. But, looking back at it 35 years later, I find it even harder to believe. It proves that anything can happen in a horse race.
Prior to the Wood, I felt that Secretariat would win the Triple Crown. As the sports editor of my high school paper, I had written in my column on March 22, 1973: Going out on a limb and living dangerously, I daresay that 1973 will be a historic year as Secretariat will become the first Triple Crown winner since the great Citation in 1948.
This is what I wrote after the Wood: Secretariat lost, Angle Light did not win. That is the story of last Saturdays $100,000-added Wood Memorial at Aqueduct.
You cant throw out a horse because of one defeat. It takes more than that. A perfect example is last year when Riva Ridge lost the Everglades but came back strongly to take the Blue Grass Stakes, Kentucky Derby and grueling Belmont Stakes.
So Secretariat lost some of his pride in defeat. But hes still the one they have to beat May 5.
It later came to light that Secretariat was hurt -- literally --by a painful abscess in his mouth when he ran in the Wood. And they didnt beat him in the May 5 Kentucky Derby. They didnt beat him in the May 19 Preakness, either. And in the June 9 Belmont Stakes, Secretariat rose to the occasion and delivered probably the greatest performance in the history of American racing to sweep the Triple Crown on his way to another Horse of the Year title. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1974.
FLORIDA DERBY SATURDAY
This Saturdays Grade I Florida Derby is shaping up as quite an interesting race. It is expected to attract two 3-year-olds currently on my Kentucky Derby list, No. 4 Elysium Fields and No. 8 Big Brown.
Elysium Fields, who ran a big race in defeat when second to Cool Coal Man in the Grade II Fountain of Youth Stakes, worked five furlongs in 1:00 Tuesday at Gulfstream Park for trainer Barclay Tagg.
Meanwhile, Big Brown, undefeated and untested in two starts, drilled five furlongs in :59 2/5 Tuesday at Palm Meadows for trainer Rick Dutrow, who is exuding confidence in the colt going into Saturdays race.
Big Brown won his career debut by 11 1/4 lengths in a 1 1/16-mile grass race at Saratoga last Sept. 3 while posting a 90 Beyer Speed Figure for owner Paul Pompa Jr. and trainer Patrick Reynolds. The Boundary colt then registered a 12 3/4-length victory and earned a 104 Beyer in an off-the-turf allowance race at Gulfstream Park on March 5 in his first start after joining Dutrows barn due to IEAH Stables acquiring part ownership.
Dutrow said he got goose bumps when Big Brown drew away coming into the stretch on the dirt at Gulfstream. The colt was to have to run in the Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf at Monmouth Park last Oct. 26, but missed that race due to a quarter crack on his left front foot.
On Dec. 22, according to Dutrow, Big Brown, then a 2-year-old, worked so well in company with Diamond Stripes, then a 4-year-old, that he realized Big Brown could be something special. Diamond Stripes worked six furlongs at Palm Meadows in 1:13 3/5, with Big Brown clocked in 1:13 1/5. Diamond Stripes had won the Grade II Meadowlands Cup on Oct. 5.
However, after one more recorded work on Dec. 28, Big Brown again was sidelined by a quarter crack, this time on his right front foot. He did not go to the track once during January, Dutrow said during an NTRA teleconference Tuesday. That made the colts March 5 all the more impressive in Dutrows eyes.
Remember, at this time last year, Curlin likewise was just two for two. And while he was unable to snag the roses on the first Saturday in May, he did win the Arkansas Derby, Preakness Stakes, Jockey Club Gold Cup, Breeders Cup Classic and 2007 Horse of the Year title.
There is only one change on this weeks Kentucky Derby Top 10 list. Rebel Stakes winner Sierra Sunset, who debuted at No. 10 last week, drops off the list after being sidelined by a small fracture in his left front ankle, as reported by Daily Racing Forms Mary Rampellini. Taking Sierra Sunsets spot on the list is Court Vision, who was No. 1 early in the year before Pyro moved to the top after winning the Risen Star Stakes on Feb. 9.
Here is this weeks list:
1. Pyro
2. Denis of Cork
3. Cool Coal Man
4. Elysium Fields
5. Colonel John
6. El Gato Malo
7. Georgie Boy
8. Big Brown
9. Visionaire
10. Court Vision
FB
Exercise rider Dominic Terry was aboard Pyro, who worked in company with stablemate Sonoma Cat. Pyros jockey, Shaun Bridgmohan, was on Sonoma Cat. The duo raced as a team, hitting the wire together with Pyro on the inside.
I got him galloping (seven furlongs) out in 1:27 3/5 and the last five-eighths in 1:00 4/5, said assistant trainer Scott Blasi, who supervised the move for trainer Steve Asmussen. Asmussen was in Dallas this morning.
Keeneland clockers caught the pair going 23 seconds flat for the final quarter; 11.20 for the last eighth.
It was Pyros second work at Keeneland since arriving from Louisiana. He worked five furlongs on his own in 1:02.40 on March 24. Pyro hasn't raced at Keeneland but trained there last fall before finishing second in the Breeders Cup Juvenile at Monmouth Park.
He looked great to me. I hadnt seen him in six weeks, said Blasi, who's been in Dubai with Curlin.
Sonoma Cat, a 4-year-old son of Storm Cat, was based at Fair Grounds with Pyro. He has a record of 5 1-2-2.
Also working for the Asmussen barn today was Vinery Stables and Fox Hill Farms Kodiak Kowboy, who worked a half-mile in :49.20 (14/29), breezing, in preparation for Sundays Lafayette Stakes.
Bob Black Jack to Toyota Blue Grass. In a rapidly-evolving and fluid runup to the Kentucky Derby, Bob Black Jack is out of consderation for the Grade II Arkansas Derby and will run in the Grade I Toyota Blue Grass Stakes instead, his trainer said today.
In order to get into an overflow field, the Arkansas Derby gives priority to horses based on earnings.
I cant get in the Arkansas Derby because we dont have enough money," trainer James Kasparoff said today. Were like 16th on the list of earnings. Theyre going to run 14 and Im 16th, and all those horses ahead of me intend to run, so it looks like hes just going to stay on the plane and go to Lexington instead.
On that plane will be Indian Sun and Gayego, who have more earnings than Bob Black Jack.
David Flores will retain the mount on Sunshine Millions Dash winner Bob Black Jack.
Court Vision Works at Payson. Trainer Bill Mott had Court Vision working today at Payson Park. He went a half-mile in :49.60 (2/8), breezing.
A winner of three of four starts as a two-year-old, including Aqueducts Grade II Remsen on Nov. 24, Court Vision is expected for Saturdays Grade I Wood Memorial. Court Vision exits a third-place finish in the Grade II Fountain of Youth, his only start this year.
Although Mott has a stable at Belmont Park, he is expected to ship Court Vision into Aqueduct on Thursday.
Wood Memorial Probables. The biggest and most intriguing name among the Woods prospects is War Pass. Last years Breeders Cup Juvenile champ turned in a clunker in the Grade III Tampa Bay Derby and quickly fell from grace on the trail to the Run for the Roses. Even so, the Nick Zito trainee could be the favorite.
Two others with enough graded stakes money to be assured a spot in the Derby starting gate, Court Vision and Tale of Ekati, will be there. Anak Nakal might have enough earnings, but plenty could happen to change that.
Texas Wildcatter, runner-up by a nose in the Grade III Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct; Giant Moon, last in the Gotham; Roman Emperor, fourth in the Wood, and late nominee Spurrier fill out the potential roster for the Wood.
Colonel John Works Strongly at SA. Grade III Sham Stakes winner Colonel John, one of the favorites for Saturdays Santa Anita Derby, worked six furlongs today in 1:10.80 (2/26), handily, at Santa Anita. Exercise rider Karine Lhuillier was up.
He worked super, said trainer Eoin Harty, just back from Dubai. He went five-eighths in :59 and two or three and couldnt have done it any easier.
Santa Anita Derby Probables. The prospective field is now at 10. Coast Guard, Joe Talamo; Colonel John, Corey Nakatani; El Gato Malo, David Flores; Meetingwithdestiny, no rider; On the Virg, no rider; Polonius, Victor Espinoza; Rosso Corsa, Richard Migliore; Shore Do, no rider; Signature Move, Michael Baze; and Yankee Bravo, Alex Solis.
The Santa Anita Derby will be televised live on NBC Saturday from 5:00 to 6:00 ET.
Visionaire Confirmed for Blue Grass. Trainer Michael Matz confirmed today that Visionaire, winner of the Grade III Gotham on March 8, will make his next start in the Blue Grass.
Matz had been considering shipping the Grand Slam colt to the Grade II Illinois Derby this Saturday. Visionaire arrived at Keeneland yesterday.
Obviously, I didnt want to face Pyro and Cool Coal Man, said Matz. My big worry was having an extra week before the Derby, and I wont get that now with going in the Blue Grass, but he wont have to ship up there (to Hawthorne) and back again. Hes going to stay here now until he is shipped up to Churchill.
Matz said Visionaire will work at Keeneland this week. Jockey Jose Lezcano will again be aboard Visionaire in the Toyota Blue Grass.
Visionaire faced Pyro for the first time on Feb. 9 in the Grade III Risen Star at Fair Grounds. Pyro won the race, with Visionaire running third
Matz currently has 24 horses at Keeneland, marking his largest string at the track to date. Street Sounds, whom he saddled to win the Grade II Stonerside Beaumont during the 2007 Spring Meet, is being pointed to the Grade II Vinery Madison on April 9 for her four-year-old debut. Bee Charmer, who finished second in Keenelands Grade III Sycamore last October, could start in the closing-day Grade II Fifth Third Elkhorn on April 25. Matz said he didnt know whether Chelokee, who won his 2008 debut on March 29 at Gulfstream, would start at Keeneland during the Spring Meet.
Ten Late-Nominated to Triple Crown. Ten new runners, eight males and two females, were late-nominated to the 2008 Triple Crown. The 10 late nominees ran the overall total for this years Triple Crown races to 459, one below the record of 460 set in 2007.
With 449 early nominees at a fee of $600 per horse and 10 late ones at $6,000 per, total Triple Crown nomination fees amount to $329,400. That will be split three ways between Churchill Downs, Pimlico and Belmont Park for distribution in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes.
Late nominations closed Saturday, the same day as the Grade I Florida Derby.
The late nominees are:
Barrier Reef, owned by Godolphin Racing and trained by Saeed bin Suroor.
BIG GLEN, owned by John T.L. Jones and trained by Frank Brothers.
HEY BYRN, owned by Bernard and Bea Oxenberg and trained by Eddie Plesa Jr.
JAZZ IN THE PARK, from James Metzgers Russata Stable and trained by Bobby Barnett.
KINSALE KING, owned by Super Horse Inc. and trained by Jesse Mendoza.
My Pal Charlie , owned by B. Wayne Hughes and trained by Albert Stall Jr.
ROSSO CORSA, owned by Charlotte Wrather and trained by Darrell Vienna.
SPURRIER, owned by Peachtree Stable and trained by Todd Pletcher.
EIGHT BELLES, owned by Fox Hill Farm and trained by J. Larry Jones.
PROUD SPELL, owned by Brereton Jones and trained by J. Larry Jones.
By Nick Kling, The Record
Big Brown's five-length victory in Saturday's
Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park was spectacu
lar. It was clearly the most impressive perform
ance of the year from a three-year-old pointing
toward the May 3 Kentucky Derby. Indeed, it is
possible there has been no Thoroughbred race of
importance on American soil this year which
exceeds what we saw on Saturday.
Some will dispute that, believing Pyro's win in
the Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds was superi
or. However, race-watchers who subscribe to the
adage 'pace makes the race' know better.
For starters, Big Brown overcame what had
been an impossible post position bias. In the
four years since Gulfstream's main track was
transformed into a one and one-eighth mile oval,
no horse had won a race at that distance from
post 12 (or 11 for that matter).
When Barbaro captured the
2006 Florida Derby from post
10, his achievement was hailed
as special. How then should we
consider what Big Brown
accomplished? The field he
defeated contained the strongest
lineup of any three-year-old race this year.
Big Brown earned the victory with raw talent.
Trainer Rick Dutrow and jockey Kent
Desormeaux knew their best chance was to blast
the colt out of the starting gate and angle inside
for position. It is easy to plot that strategy; hard
er for the horse to execute. Big Brown did in
spades. By the time the leaders reached the
halfway point on the first turn, the colt had taken
control of the race.
On a track where fractional times of 47 sec
onds to the half and 1:11 for six furlongs are con
sidered solid, Big Brown posted splits of 45.83
and 1:10.08. His final time was good
1:48.16. Dominance on an unbiased racetrack
after setting a fast pace is the ultimate sign of
quality in a Thoroughbred.
Daily Racing Form says he will be assigned a
Beyer speed figure of 106. None of the other 24
horses on the Form's "Derby Watch" ratings have
earned a dirt route Beyer of 100 or higher in
2008.
Does this mean Big Brown is a mortal lock to
win the Kentucky Derby? Of course not. There
are four significant questions the colt has yet to
answer.
Big Brown raced with special shoes in the
Florida Derby. His footwear was a variation on
what are called glue-on shoes. The colt has had
issues with quarter cracks. These are the equine
version of torn fingernails, except in the case of a
horse, the animal has to stand or run on the
injured area.
Glue-on shoes don't require nails to hold them
to the hoof wall. In addition, the pricey ($550
per set) style Big Brown wore Saturday are sup
posed to provide some cushioning for tender feet.
A wise trainer once said, "No foot, no horse."
Things must go well for an animal preparing for
the Kentucky Derby. Empire Maker was compro
mised by a foot bruise in 2003. Big Brown's feet
have to remain healthy.
Then there is the issue of seasoning. That is,
will the three career races which Big Brown has
completed provide the colt with enough experi
ence to handle the tumult of a 20-horse field in
America's greatest race?
Three races weren't enough for Curlin. The
horse now acclaimed as the best in the world
went into last year's Derby with three starts.
Curlin won them by an aggregate total of just
under 29 lengths. Big Brown's comparable total
is exactly 29 lengths.
Curlin could do no better than third in the
Derby, finishing 8 lengths behind
winner Street Sense. The colt's
towering accomplishments since
have revealed two truths: 1) he is
a superior horse, 2) sometimes
superior talent isn't enough to
win the Kentucky Derby.
As with any horse entering the
Derby, the factor of the one and
one-quarter mile distance is an
issue. Pedigree and pace determine how a three-
year-old answers this question.
An excellent handicapper sent me his analysis
of Big Brown's Florida Derby shortly after the
race. This person judges a horse's ability to
ration his speed and energy. According to his fig
ures, Big Brown's final three-eighths of a mile
reveal the colt may not like ten furlongs.
A similar opinion was posted on Daily Racing
Form's Crist Blog page. This energy analyst cal
culated Big Brown's rate of deceleration at about
12 percent. The colt will have to cover the first
half-mile of the Kentucky Derby no faster than 46
seconds to have his best chance. That might not
be a problem. He rated kindly in the process of
winning a March 5 allowance race at Gulfstream.
Breeding is another iffy subject. Big Brown is
sired by Boundary, a son of Danzig. This is pedi
gree which suggests high speed and early preco
ciousness. Stamina might not be a positive trait.
However, that argument was also used against
Funny Cide, Smarty Jones, and Afleet Alex. The
first two won the Derby and Preakness despite
their sires, Distorted Humor and Elusive Quality,
respectively. The last dominated the one and
one-half mile Belmont Stakes, a race his father,
Northern Afleet, would have needed a bus ride to
win.
Big Brown has Nureyev as his dam sire. That
could be his stamina saver. In addition, anyone
who still follows the 'dosage' method of stamina
handicapping will note that Big Brown has good
numbers and distribution.
Pending next weekend's Wood Memorial,
where War Pass will attempt to recover his repu
tation, I have Big Brown as my second-ranked
Derby contender. Here are the top five: 1) Pyro,
2) Big Brown, 3) War Pass, 4) Court Vision, 5)
Atoned.
Previously confirmed are War Pass, last years juvenile champion (trainer Nick Zito; jockey Cornelio Velasquez); Grade II Remsen winner Court Vision (Bill Mott; Garrett Gomez); Anak Nakal (Zito; Alan Garcia); Giant Moon (Richard Schosberg; Jorge Chavez); Roman Emperor(Steve Klesaris; Jeremy Rose); Spurrier (Todd Pletcher; Stewart Elliott); Tale of Ekati (Barclay Tagg; Edgar Prado), and Texas Wildcatter (Pletcher, TBA).
New shooters are Inner Light (Mott, C.C. Lopez), who will be coupled with Court Vision, and possibly First Commandment and Gattopardo.
Mott Says Court Vision Heading in Right Direction. Mott said he believes he has two horses heading in the right direction, Court Vision and Inner Light.
Court Vision, a son of 1987 Wood Memorial winner Gulch, closed out a 3-for-4 two-year-old season by winning the Grade II, nine-furlong Remsen by a neck over Atoned, who goes in the Grade II Illinois Derby on Saturday. In his only start of 2008, Court Vision was a distant third behind Cool Coal Man and Elysium Fields in Gulfstream Parks Grade II Fountain of Youth on Feb. 24.
It was his first race back and he ran well, considering he was on a speed-favoring racetrack, Mott said. He was pretty far back, and he wasnt going to make up any kind of ground on that track. Still, he was the only one running at the end and he has been doing very well ever since.
Inner Light, who like Court Vision is owned by IEAH Stable and WinStar Farm, is a son of Songandaprayer. He won a one-mile Gulfstream Park allowance on March 7 and could possibly help establish some pace in the Wood for Court Vision.
Weve kind of looked at the Wood for awhile for Inner Light, and we decided to give him a chance to play the game. Hes always been overanxious, but he seemed to settle much better in his last race. Will he handle two turns? We dont know for sure, but he seems he is heading in the right direction.
Court Vision and Inner Light will ship from Florida to Aqueduct tomorrow. Mott has a stable at Belmont Park.
It didnt make much sense to ship to Belmont Park and then ship again for the Wood, Mott said. This way, they ship in and stay for the race.
Tagg Pleased with Tale of Ekati. Trainer Barclay Tagg said he was pleased with Tale of Ekatis half-mile gate work of :47.40 (1/14), handily, at Palm Meadows yesterday. The Tale of the Cat colt will ship to Aqueduct Thursday with Court Vision.
Tale of Ekati, last years Grade I Belmont Futurity winner, has only made one start in 2008, and that resulted in a sixth-place finish behind Pyro in the March 8 Louisiana Derby after a poor break from the gate.
He ran all right, Tagg said of the colts effort in New Orleans. The assistant starter had his head turned sideways at the start, so he got away from the gate bad and that ruined his chances.
Edgar Prado has the mount on Tale of Ekati in the Wood.
First Commandment: 3-Year-Olds Unpredictable. First Commandment trainer Carlos Martin says that he is 50-50 about running in the Wood Memorial. A son of 1997 Travers winner Deputy Commander, First Commandment has only had three career starts, all on Aqueducts inner track. He lost his debut race in the mud but won his next two races.
I nominated him to the Wood Memorial because this has become a very unpredictable year for three-year-olds, Martin said. We all know that War Pass is a terrific horse, but his race at Tampa Bay is a puzzle. Take of Ekati didnt run so well off the layoff.
This is one of these situations where you take a shot and if it works out, you look like a genius. We know we are taking a big step with a New York-bred, but like I said, this has been a year when good 3-year-olds suddenly are not running their races.
War Pass could get on the lead and not look back, but he could also run a race like he did at Tampa Bay. You just dont know. I know that First Commandment can get a mile and an eighth, and that is still a question with some horses. We have some time. Ill probably bring him to the (Belmont Park) training track on Thursday, ask him to pick it up on the backside and see where his energy level is at.
Big Truck to Keeneland. Trainer Barclay Tagg was at Keeneland this morning to oversee the arrival of horses that will be under his care in Barn 37. Included in the arrivals was Eric Feins Big Truck, winner of the Grade III Tampa Bay Derby in his most recent start on March 15.
Tagg had previously laid out three options for Big Trucks next start, one of which was the Grade III Holy Bull at Gulfstream Park. With that option eliminated now, the remaining next-race choices are the Grade I Toyota Blue Grass and the Kentucky Derby.
Pyro Watch. Pyro was on the track at Keeneland this morning and galloped a mile under exercise rider Dominic Terry. Pyro had worked Monday at Keeneland and walked the shedrow on Tuesday.
Kentucky Bear in Blue Grass. Bear Stables Kentucky Bear, unraced since a seventh-place finish in the Feb. 24 Grade II Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park, arrived at Keeneland on yesterday to begin preparations for the Grade I Toyota Blue Grass Stakes on April 12.
Trainer Reade Baker said Jamie Theriot would have the mount on Kentucky Bear, who made his racing debut on Jan. 21 with a 6 1/2-length victory going a mile at Gulfstream Park.
Baker said the son of Mr. Greeley would work Sunday, Monday or Tuesday for the Blue Grass. Kentucky Bear has had three works at Palm Meadows since the Fountain of Youth, the most recent being a bullet, five-eighths move in :59.00 (1/20) on March 31.
Kentucky Bear jogged a mile today morning at Keeneland under exercise rider Cassie Garcia.
Unofficial probables for the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes are Cool Coal Man, Cowboy Cal, Kentucky Bear, Pyro, and Visionaire.
Monba and Big Truck are possible.
By JEFF NAHILL - Staff Writer | Saturday, April 5, 2008 5:21 PM PDT ∞
Post your Comments Increase Font Decrease Font email this story print this story The Kentucky Derby is the great American horse race.
You can have the Breeders' Cup, the Preakness and Belmont Stakes, or any other race you want to name.
Everyone in the thoroughbred industry wants to win one race on the first Saturday of May.
This year, West Coast interests are trying a new path. This is the first time all of the major Kentucky Derby preps in California are on synthetic tracks.
Will East Coast, Midwest and Southern interests have an edge on May 3 because their horses have been running on dirt tracks like the one at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.? That is a major question for Saturday's Santa Anita Derby, the West Coast's last major prep race for the Kentucky Derby. Featuring 3-year-olds running 1 1/8 mile, the race from Santa Anita Park will be televised at 2 p.m. by NBC.
Oceanside's Jeff Bloom, vice president of West Coast operations for West Point Thoroughbreds, which entered El Gato Malo in Saturday's race, isn't worried "even a little bit" about the transition from synthetic to dirt should his horse make it to Louisville.
"I've always been of the opinion that good horses will run on any surface and overcome issues related to the track itself," Bloom said this week.
El Gato Malo, who is second on the morning line (5-2) to Colonel John (2-1), has won races at Hollywood Park (Cushion Track), Golden Gate Fields (Tapeta) and Santa Anita (Cushion Track). All are synthetic.
"This horse has shown he'll run on any surface already," Bloom said. "He trained extensively at San Luis Rey Downs (in Bonsall as a 2-year-old), which is a dirt surface, and had his initial workouts over that surface and he glided over it.
"There's a few unknowns (with running on dirt), but I always go back to a good horse will run through that stuff."
Craig Dollase, who trains El Gato Malo at Hollywood Park, believes he has the advantage of not having to worry about weather or track conditions.
"I had no hiccups along the way at all," Dollase said. "I'm a big fan of synthetic tracks, and whatever it takes to keep my horse sound and happy, that's where I'm going to be ...
"The horses tend to get a lot of fitness off these tracks. And I know because when Hollywood Park went ahead (last year) and put the synthetic track in, I think Santa Anita at the time had their dirt track in and I was running horses across town (from Hollywood Park), training them synthetic and running over there, and did very, very well."
Eoin Harty, the trainer of Colonel John, is in the same camp as Dollase. He believes the fitness gained on synthetic tracks is so positive that it outweighs any negatives to not having run on dirt before the Kentucky Derby.
"Sure, it's an unknown," Harty said, "but (Colonel John) moves well over Santa Anita and Hollywood Park. He has a fluid action. I think he can handle any surface out there."
But Harty, who was trainer Bob Baffert's assistant during the glory days of Silver Charm and Real Quiet, admits that he might send Colonel John to Churchill Downs some two weeks before the race to acclimate him to the new surface.
"Just to (put aside any fears) on my own behalf or on the part of the general public (that he can't handle the dirt)," said Harty.
In the end, however, getting to the Kentucky Derby is a crapshoot. It's just a little more so for West Coast connections.
"(Synthetic tracks), to me, is a very controversial topic right now," said Robert LaPenta, the owner of 2-year-old champion War Pass, who will race Saturday on dirt in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct in New York. "Is it safer? Is it better? Is it changing the game? You know, we could probably spend five hours talking about that. So, I don't know what these (West Coast) horses are going to do."
Neither does anyone else.
by Steve Haskin
Updated: April 7, 2008
Well, were down to our final two major preps, the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I) and Arkansas Derby (gr. II), with the Coolmore Lexington Stakes (gr. II) and Holy Bull Stakes (gr. III) thrown in for good measure. The question right now is: what did we learn from last Saturdays preps?
We learned that Colonel John is the undisputed king of the California 3-year-olds. We learned that Tale of Ekati and War Pass have righted their wrongs and are back on firm ground on the Derby trail. And we learned that the Illinois Derby (gr. II) once again produced a clear-cut winner who earned the usual high Beyer Speed Figure and closed his final eighth of a mile in fast time.
Unfortunately, we also learned that Denis of Cork, through no fault of his own or trainer David Carroll, became totally disoriented on the road to Louisville and, sadly, lost his way. It proves once again that when you hire a captain, you let him steer the ship.
But with every cloud comes a silver lining, or so they say. With the Denis of Cork cloud comes a much welcome return to Churchill Downs of Louie Roussel and Ronnie Lamarque, who have stirred the Derby pot twice before with Risen Star in 1988 and Kandaly in 1994. With their colt Recapturetheglory commemorating the 20th anniversary of Risen Stars Triple Crown adventures with a runaway victory in the Illinois Derby, we can now look forward to more fun and frivolity such as Louie and Ronnies New Orleans Crawfish Bash, which they held for the media on the clubhouse turn in 94; and, of course, Ronnies studio-recorded songs about his horses can anyone forget Go, Kandaly, Go sung to the tune of Do Wah Diddy?
The star of the weekend definitely was Santa Anita Derby (gr. I) winner Colonel John, who, despite racing exclusively on a synthetic surface, looks as solid a Derby horse as weve seen this year. Forgetting for a minute about his having to make the transition to dirt and having only two Derby preps (something he shares with a number of top contenders this year), he has all the tools you look for in a classic horse the stamina, the build, the toughness, the consistency, the closing kick, the temperament, and the connections. And as for having only two starts, that is misleading, as he ran Dec. 22 in the CashCall Futurity (gr. I). Add to that, both his starts this year were gut-checks, which he passed against fast, talented horses, assuring that he will have sufficient bottom and will be battle-tested.
The Santa Anita Derby was not an easy race to watch if youre a Colonel John fan, especially when El Gato Malo went flying by him on the far turn, and then On the Virg passed him, putting him in ninth nearing the head of the stretch. One flaw he does have is that, with his big stride, it takes him a while to get in high gear. Another flaw, which he and jockey Corey Nakatani will have to work out, could be seen distinctly in the upper stretch. When Nakatani hit him numerous times left-handed, Colonel John drifted out and didnt appear to be going anywhere. Then, when Nakatani switched and hit him right-handed, he took off in a flash, lengthening his stride noticeably, and it was that quick final surge that got him the victory.
With all that, he still managed to come home his final three-eighths in a sensational :35 1/5 (:23 1/5 and :12). Nakatani, apparently sensing that Colonel John had done his only serious running in the final sixteenth, wanted him to keep going and gallop out strong. He waved the whip at him crossing the wire, and then gave him a tap on the shoulder with the handle of the whip before pulling on his left rein and snapping the right rein against the colts shoulder. As a result, Colonel John was able to run through the wire and continue on at a decent clip without easing to the outside, as many horses will do when galloping out. It was a clever move by Nakatani, who has to make sure the colt doesnt put himself in that position again in the Derby. Hell have to quicken earlier, and cant afford to let horses whiz by him at the three-eighths pole. Thats how you become swallowed up by the cavalry charge. And drifting out the way he did after turning for home is a no-no, so one would think well see more right-handed whipping than left next time.
Bob Black Jack continues to improve the farther he goes, which is contrary to what most people thought would happen. The Cal-bred is fast, can rate going two turns, and can finish, which makes him a dangerous opponent. But he drifted in and out much more noticeably than did Colonel John. He was all over the track, which makes those final fractions hard to believe. Is this some Cushion Track/Pro Ride phenomenon, or are these two horses, and the pacesetting Coast Guard, really such strong closers?
Yankee Bravo saved ground all the way and had every shot to win in the stretch, but ran a bit flat in the final furlong to finish fourth, beaten four lengths. El Gato Malo looked awesome blowing by horses on the far turn, but couldnt sustain his move, finishing fifth. The closest he got to Colonel John was when the winner drifted right across his path.
Diamonds and roses
Imagine at the end of last year, you were told that the Wood Memorial (gr. I) would have among its starters the winners of the grade I Bessemer Trust Breeders Cup Juvenile and Champagne Stakes and the grade II Kentucky Jockey Club, Remsen, and Futurity Stakes. You no doubt would have been salivating at such a prospect.
Then imagine you were told that the winners of those races War Pass, Court Vision, Anak Nakal, and Tale of Ekati would go into the Wood having been beaten an average of 12 lengths in their previous start, with three of them finishing sixth or worse.
Well, thats just what happened. Following an unpredictable turn of events this winter, the Wood, normally a match-up of leading Derby contenders, became mostly a means of redemption.
And in the end, all were redeemed, to some degree, as Tale of Ekati, War Pass, and Court Vision finished first, second, and third, respectively, with even Anak Nakal showing improvement, finishing fifth, beaten only 3 1/2 lengths, after two dismal performances.
Much to Tale of Ekati's credit, he put himself in position to be the first one to pick up the pieces after War Pass hit the proverbial brick wall nearing the eighth pole. But because he tried so hard to run through that wall after being hounded by a rabbit for the first five-eighths of a mile, War Pass received as many accolades as the winner.
Last years 2-year-old champion had much to prove after his shocking last-place finish at 1-20 in the March 15 Tampa Bay Derby (gr. III), in which he staggered home 23 lengths behind Taggs victorious Big Truck. No concrete explanation for his performance was ever found, and no one had a clue what to expect from him in the Wood.
Because of the red flares he had sent up at Tampa Bay, everyones eyebrows were raised when it was reported the colt needed three staples under his chin to close a wound suffered on the plane from Florida due to turbulence shortly before landing.
Owner Robert LaPenta was more concerned about seeing his champion restore his tarnished reputation, so he could officially put a line through the Tampa Bay Derby and chalk it up as an aberration.
Ive slept about a total of an hour and a half this week, LaPenta said in the paddock before the race. He looks good and acts well, but no one knows whats going to happen. Im more nervous now than I was before the Breeders Cup.
Trainer Nick Zito said he was Apprehensive, excited, happy, and cautious, which pretty much covered the gamut of emotions.
Then there was trainer Barclay Tagg, who also was seeking redemption for Tale of Ekati, who was named after the Ekati diamond mine that was discovered in Canadas Northwest Territory by the colts owner Charles Fipke. The son of Tale of the Cat Silence Beauty, by Sunday Silence had embarked on the Kentucky Derby trail with a great deal of promise after his scintillating victory in the Futurity Stakes, but he was scheduled to have only two starts leading up to the Run for the Roses, which meant there was no room for error. So, when his first race back -- the Louisiana Derby (gr. II) -- turned into a fiasco after a terrible start, it put Tagg, who won last years Wood with Nobiz Like Shobiz, and Tale of Ekati in a precarious position. The colt had to rebound with a big performance to even be considered for the Derby.
Tale of Ekati came up from Florida in resplendent condition, and was a standout in the paddock. Hes really doing well right now, Tagg said as he watched the colt on the walking ring. But you never know.
Bill Mott, trainer of Court Vision, was another who didnt know what to expect after his colts non-threatening rally from last to finish a distant third in the Fountain of Youth Stakes (gr. II). The son of Gulch also was scheduled to have only two starts prior to the Derby, and Mott knew the colt needed to be more competitive in the Wood if he was to be battle-tested enough to have any shot in the Derby. So, he reached into his hat and pulled out a rabbit named Inner Light, who was coming off a victory in a one-mile allowance race at Gulfstream, in which he tracked blistering fractions of :44 and 1:08 4/5 before drawing off to a two-length score. He, like Court Vision, is owned by WinStar Farm and IEAH Stables, so it was a team decision to use the colt as a sacrificial lamb.
The stage was set for a wild Wood, in which all the top names were treading on unsteady ground. Those who slipped, even a little, would be munching on hay in their stall at six oclock on May 3.
If there was one thing that was certain, it was that Cornelio Velasquez would be gunning War Pass out of the five-post in the nine-horse field (First Commandment was a late vet scratch). Although Mott had given the usual pre-race quotes about how they wanted to test Inner Light around two turns, it was pretty obvious to everyone that the colt was on a kamikaze mission. Breaking from post eight, he would hone right in on LaPentas maroon silks.
When the gates opened, War Pass broke just a bit sluggishly and Velasquez pushed him to the lead as if he were in a sprint race. Then, to no ones surprise, there was Inner Light charging after him from the outside. After the opening quarter in a scorching :22 2/5 over a heavy, drying out track that was listed as fast, War Pass had Inner Light latched on to him like a suckerfish attached to a shark. The pair had already opened up six lengths on Tale of Ekati in third. With a half in a testing :46 flat, War Pass was pretty much cooked at that point. By comparison, top-class older horses in the Excelsior Handicap (gr. III) went their half in :48 2/5, a difference of 12 lengths.
War Pass finally shook free from Inner Light, who would be beaten more than 40 lengths, but he still was rolling through three-quarters in 1:11 2/5, compared to 1:13 3/5 in the Excelsior. The champ, despite a few awkward strides, took a clear lead into the stretch after being brought several paths out by Velasquez, as instructed by Zito. But it was obvious at this point that he had little left and was crawling home (his final three-eighths in :40 4/5).
Tale of Ekati, under Edgar Prado, had never given up his pursuit and he began to close the gap from the inside. War Pass dug in and battled courageously, trying to hold off his pursuer, despite being on empty. But Tale of Ekati kept coming after him, with Court Vision, who had been as far back as 18 lengths, closing the gap, along with Giant Moon.
Tale of Ekati, himself a tired horse after running his half in :46 2/5, finally wore down War Pass in the closing strides to win by a half-length in 1:52 1/5 for the nine furlongs, with War Pass finishing 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Court Vision, who closed well, but had no real excuse after failing to take advantage of the setup his stablemate had provided for him.
After the race, LaPenta put it simply: "The rabbit did him in, but he ran a great race." Even Mott saluted War Pass. "He's a very game horse and he ran a big race, because we pushed him along pretty good."
So, did we see the Derby winner in the Wood? When horses close that slowly in their final Derby prep, its a good reason to throw them out. But the first three finishers all desperately needed this race to bounce back and get much-needed conditioning. They all should improve with this race under their belt, but can they improve enough to compete against the best 3-year-olds in a 20-horse field going a mile and a quarter? Lets just say its going to be a difficult assignment. Tale of Ekati and War Pass are brilliant colts with a great deal of talent, and theyll need all of it, especially War Pass, who will no doubt become embroiled at some point with Bob Black Jack, Recapturetheglory, and the indomitable Big Brown. But he showed in the Wood that anyone who wants to run with him will pay the price. There's a reason why he's a champion.
Court Vision needs to find some speed and quickness between now and the Derby, but he does have the stamina and the drive, and he does close consistently. With a track more to his liking he still could be a legitimate Derby contender. Anak Nakal made a wide, steady move, and although he was never a factor, he may have run well enough to punch his ticket to Louisville.
Return of the ragin Cajuns
Recapturetheglorys emphatic victory in the Illinois Derby at 15-1 was hard to predict by looking at the colts past performances. The son of Cherokee Run appeared to have some promise, but he had never run in a stakes and was coming off only one start this year a third-place finsh in a turf allowance race at Fair Grounds. His most impressive credential was having run second to Cool Coal Man in an allowance race at Churchill Downs in November.
Yet, there he was out on the lead, setting slow fractions, with no one other than Golden Spikes paying much attention to him. By the time they did it was way too late. With a final three-eighths in :36 1/5, he was gone, drawing off to a four-length victory over Golden Spikes in 1:49 flat.
Once again, for some reason, the Illinois Derby was an impressive race on paper, with the winner jumping from an 80 Beyer to a 102. But lets not forget Sweetnorthernsaints stalking 9 1/4-length romp and his 109 Beyer in 2006; or Greeleys Legacys stalking 9 1/2-length procession and 106 Beyer in 2005; or Pollards Visions wire-to-wire victory and his 107 Beyer in 2004; or Cowtown Cats front-running victory and 98 Beyer in 2007. While none of those horses even came close to winning the Derby, we do have to remember War Emblems 6 1/4-length, wire-to-wire score and 112 Beyer in 2002. But that was at Sportsmans Park. Hawthorne is a tricky surface that some horses love and others hate.
Recapturetheglory has a powerful stride and high kick, and he was really pouring it on in the final furlong, much like War Emblem did. That certainly is not meant to imply that this colt is in the same stratosphere as War Emblem, but there are some similarities.
As for Denis of Cork, he was on a perfect schedule heading into the Rebel, but instead was put in mothballs and allowed to rust for seven weeks. And all because of some obsession with speed figures. Trainer David Carroll had the colts winter and spring campaign all mapped out and then saw a big X drawn through it. He attempted to keep Denis of Cork on edge, but to be inactive for that long when youre primed for competition, and then forced to return over a quirky surface like Hawthorne, it was an invitation to disaster.
Denis of Cork never at any point looked like the colt who had won all three of his races, in which he showed speed, power, and guts. Going into the first turn, it was difficult to see what happened, but jockey Julien Leparoux, in between horses, went flying up in the air and completely lost his balance and rhythm on the colt. That didnt seem to affect the horse at all, but down the backstretch, it was obvious he was in trouble. He wasnt moving with any authority and began losing ground over a track where you needed to be right there turning for home. It was sad to see such a talented horse struggle home a non-threatening fifth.
Now its a question whether he will have enough earnings to get in the Derby if thats where they decide to go. He most likely will, but if several horses behind him run huge in the Arkansas Derby (including Carrolls Blackberry Road) and Blue Grass, it could knock him out. But does he even have a chance to win the Derby off this race? Normally, you would answer an emphatic no, but weve seen too many good horses bounce back from a clunker before the Derby, and the belief here is that this is a very good horse who just wasnt given the opportunity to show it.
Because of the costly decision to skip the Rebel, Denis of Cork lost one of the hottest jockeys in the country in Robby Albarado, is now in jeopardy of not getting in the Derby, and will have to go in the race off only four career starts (the last horse to win the Derby off four starts was 90 years ago). His connections were afraid hed "bounce" on the speed sheets in his next start. Well, he bounced all right, possibly right out of the Derby. Lets just hope Carroll can get him back on track and show everyone what hes capable of doing.
Atoned was a bit of a disappointment, especially with Denis of Cork not running his race, and he and runner-up Golden Spikes most likely will not have sufficient graded earnings to get in the Derby. Z Humor ran another steady, but unspectacular, race to finish third, and hes in the Derby earnings-wise if Zayat Stables wants to run all their horses who qualify. Their others are Halo Najib and Z Fortune, who needs a placing in the Arkansas Derby to make the field.
PYRO
Carlos Ramos/Matt Goins Photos
by Jeff Lowe
After succeeding in two of the worlds richest races with Curlin, trainer Steve Asmussen finds himself in the enviable position of shifting his attention to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) with Pyro.
Collecting the trophies for the Breeders Cup Classic Powered by Dodge (G1), Emirates Airline Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1), and Kentucky Derby would be a significant featno trainer has ever won all three races, let alone within a span of a little more than six months.
Its been pretty amazing, to have such fabulous horses, Asmussen said on Monday morning outside his barn at Keeneland Race Course, his grin widening with each word.
Curlin galloped on Monday, a day after arriving at Keeneland following a stopover at Belmont Park in his return from Dubai, where he joined Cigar, Pleasantly Perfect, and Invasor (Arg) as the only horses to win the worlds two most lucrative dirt races.
[Owner Jess Jackson] has to be commended for letting us continue to race him, to see how good he can be, Asmussen said. I think were headed in the right direction.
Asmussen is right where he hoped to be with Pyro when he outlined a plan to get the colt to the Kentucky Derby. Pyro figures to be a strong favorite for Saturdays Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G1) at Keeneland, after beginning his season with victories in the Risen Star Stakes (G3) and Louisiana Derby (G2) at Fair Grounds.
He ran solid last year and we gave him a little break over the winter, and I love how hes developed, Asmussen said. Hes a beautiful horse, and hes had two solid races in him this year. They arent brilliant, but theyre solid.
[Mentally], hes matured. I dont see a big change in him with the fact that hes simply older. Hes still physical, somewhat playful, but he understands racing better than he did last year.
Pyro breezed an easy four furlongs in :50.60 before daybreak on Monday at Keeneland. He has never raced on a Polytrack surface, but he trained at Keeneland last fall prior to his second-place finish to War Pass in the Bessemer Trust Breeders Cup Juvenile (G1).
The main thing is at this stage, you dont want to be watching The Weather Channel 24 hours a day, Asmussen said of the peace of mind that an all-weather surface provides.
Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) winner Cool Coal Man and Gotham Stakes (G3) winner Visionaire also are expected for the Blue Grass, along with Cowboy Cal, Halo Najib, Kentucky Bear, Medjool, and Miner's Claim.
Monba is under consideration for either the Blue Grass or the Coolmore Lexington Stakes (G2) on April 19 at Keeneland.
Trainer Barclay Tagg is leaning toward the Blue Grass with Tampa Bay Derby (G3) winner Big Truck, although the Lexington also is a possibility.
Tagg also is tentatively looking at the Lexington for Elysium Fields, who washed out severely before finishing 11th in the Florida Derby (G1) on March 29. He entered the Florida Derby off a strong runner-up finish in the Fountain of Youth. Both Big Truck and Elysium Fields are scheduled to breeze four furlongs on Tuesday at Keeneland.
Elysium Fields would need to hit the board in the Lexington to have enough graded stakes earnings to crack the Derby field, which is capped at 20 starters.
He needs money, Tagg said. He had a bad experience in the Florida Derby, and its messed me up. I dont know quite what to do with him. I think that a bad race is still a hard race. He might not have run as hard as if he had run the whole way, but he came out of it exhausted and on the verge of heat stroke. It was just a bad day.
Big Truck is on the bubble with $194,500 in graded stakes earnings.
I dont really need to run him again, but I might have to to get in, Tagg said. Id really like to run him in the Derby because hes got a tremendous amount of stamina.
Tale of Ekati joined Taggs string at Keeneland following his win in the Wood Memorial Stakes (G1) on April 5 at Aqueduct. The Tale of the Cat colt rebounded from a sixth-place finish in the Louisiana Derby that Tagg attributes mostly to a slow start.
The guy was jerking him around in the [gate] and he just got away bad, he said. He has a habit of getting away bad, so we worked on that a little bit, and we came back and he broke well enough the other day and made up for it. I guess he got enough out of the Louisiana Derby and it set him up for the Wood. He got a lot out of [the Wood]. He dug in pretty well.
War Pass and Court Vision, the second- and third-place finishers, respectively, in the Wood Memorial, will likely proceed with Tale of Ekati to the Kentucky Derby.
Trainer Eoin Harty said he will ship Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner Colonel John to Churchill Downs sometime between April 20 and April 22, which would give the Tiznow colt at least ten days to train on the dirt surface prior to the Derby on May 3. Colonel John has never raced on a conventional dirt track.
Bob Black Jack, the runner-up in the Santa Anita Derby, also will be considered for the Kentucky Derby.
Recapturetheglory will move on to Churchill after his upset win on the front end in the Illinois Derby (G2). Trainer Louie Roussel III owns Recapturetheglory in partnership with Ronald Lemarque. Roussel named the Cherokee Run in reference to their success with champion Risen Star, the 1988 Preakness (G1) and Belmont (G1) Stakes winner.
Denis of Cork finished a dull fifth as the even-money favorite in the Illinois Derby, but trainer David Carroll said the Harlans Holiday colt would continue on toward the Kentucky Derby.
You just kind of shake your head and move on, Carroll said. He had one of those days. I guess we all have them, you know?
Z Humor, the third-place finisher in the Illinois Derby, also is likely for the Kentucky Derby, said Sobhy Sonbol, racing manager for owner Ahmed Zayat.
Trainer Bob Baffert may still be heard on the Derby trail with Samba Rooster, who is slated for the Lexington Stakes after he was purchased privately by Bernie Schiappa, Ernie Moody, and J. Terrence Lanni.
Samba Rooster finished second to Harlem Rocker in an entry-level allowance race on March 30 at Gulfstream Park. The Songandaprayer colt is not nominated to the Triple Crown.
Baffert trained 2006 Blue Grass winner Sinister Minister for the same partnership.
Bernie wanted some action, Baffert said of the recent deal. We figure hes a need-the-lead type horse and maybe going two turns hell just keep on going.
Baffert joked that Sinister Ministers runaway performance in the Blue Grass may have been the final straw that led Keeneland to replace its dirt track with the synthetic Polytrack surface.
I wish we had that old dirt track for [Samba Rooster], Baffert said.
By Jeffrey Mcmurray, Associated Press Writer
LEXINGTON, Ky. It's 11 a.m., lunch time at trainer Steve Asmussen's barn at Keeneland. As less-famous horses use loud grunts and violent kicks to demand they be fed next, their celebrity stablemate Pyro quietly waits his turn.
He's like that on the racetrack, too.
Asmussen says the 3-year-old colt known for his stunning finishes always devours each meal, including a 4 a.m. breakfast and 5 p.m. dinner. But while the horse has the appetite, pedigree and racing credentials of a leading Kentucky Derby contender, he seldom shows much aggression or ego - at least until it's time.
"He's developed nicely, matured nicely," said Asmussen, who also trained Curlin, the 2007 horse of the year and this year's winner of the $6 million Dubai World Cup. "He's been very professional on the racetrack, a good feeler in the barn. He's definitely a horse that's easy to handle, easy to be around. He's shown a lot of respect for his job."
That job is to try to do something Curlin wasn't able to pull off - win the Derby. But first comes one last prep, the Blue Grass Stakes Saturday on Keeneland's Polytrack, where Pyro is expected to be the favorite. A win would make him one of the favorites to take the Derby on May 3 at Churchill Downs.
Shaun Bridgmohan, Pyro's regular rider, said he has seldom seen a horse improve so much, so quickly.
"The transition period from a 2-year-old to a 3-year-old, he's made it very well," Bridgmohan said. "You get on those young horses and always have high hopes for them. He actually panned out the way I thought he would."
In two starts this year, both victories, Pyro has shown finishing speed that even Asmussen didn't expect. Especially impressive was his victory Feb. 9 in the Risen Star Stakes, in which he soared from last in the field to a comfortable two-length victory at the end.
David Fiske, farm manager at Corinthia, a 320-acre family-owned horse farm in Lexington where Pyro was born, said that race made him understand this horse is even more special than he realized.
"We'd always thought he was good," Fiske said. "Then you turn for home and you're last, so a lot of thoughts race through your mind. We couldn't have been that wrong. What happened? Did he get hurt? Then he wins. It's not the way it was scripted."
Last month, Pyro used a similar comeback to take the Louisiana Derby. Since arriving at Keeneland thereafter, he has worked out in the predawn hours each Monday and explored the surroundings.
Last Saturday, he walked to the paddock with several other horses on their way to a race. As they hit the track, Pyro stayed behind, studying each tree.
"He'll do whatever you ask him to do," jockey Dominic Terry said after riding Pyro during a recent workout. "When he runs, he can get himself out of trouble. Really classy as a 3-year-old, very mature."
One of only five colts in a 2005 crop by Pulpit and out of Wild Vision, Pyro provides the best hope of a Derby victory for the Winchells, a longtime racing family that owns Corinthia and a 154-year-old mansion with red bricks and white pillars that sits on the property.
Since primary owner Verne Winchell's death in 2002, the thoroughbred racing business has passed on to Winchell's wife, Joan, and son, Ron, both of whom live in Las Vegas but visit the mansion several times a year.
The family has had several starters in the Kentucky Derby, including Zanjero last year, but its highest finish so far was Classic Go Go's fourth-place showing in 1981.
Fiske, who helped deliver Pyro, acknowledges he was no miracle horse, destined to be a champion from his early days as a yearling. But, his development - and cooperation with those trying to train him - make him believe this could be the one.
"He was remarkable for being unremarkable," Fiske said. "That seems to be the way a lot of them are. The good ones tend to take care of themselves, tend to be good-doers. They're not the ones that tend to get injured or sick or that you have to put back together."
Asmussen, however, remains cautious in predicting big things for his latest 3-year-old star.
"He hasn't run a race to this point that is good enough to win the Derby," Asmussen said. "But we also think he's in position to move forward. It'll all be timing and fortunate circumstances."
The Peruvian import traveled by van from trainer Dante Zanelli's base at Keeneland and worked five furlongs in 1:01 2/5 on a fast track under Manfredy Guzman, who is a former jockey in Peru.
Churchill Downs clockers caught Tomcito in fractions of :13 2/5, :26 1/5, :38 and :50. Tomcito galloped out six furlongs in 1:14 2/5. The move ranked fifth among 18 works at the distance.
Zanelli said he actually worked Tomcito six furlongs and he caught the colt in a time of 1:14 3/5, but was pleased with the trial regardless of the official clocking.
"We wanted him to just recognize the track and know where the finish line was," Zanelli said. "We wanted to do an easy three-quarters, and that's exactly what he did. He finished strong -- he finished 11-and-three the last eighth and he galloped out well. He's really moving forward big time. He's improving every day and he's doing it really well."
Tomcito has been mentioned as a candidate for the $325,000 Lexington S. (G2) on April 19 at Keeneland, but Zanelli said he is taking a "wait and see" approach on that race. He would prefer not to run again prior to the Kentucky Derby, but Tomcito might not have sufficient earnings in graded stakes races to make the maximum 20-horse field in the Derby.
"We're going wait and see what happens this weekend (in Derby prep races)," Zanelli said. "We'll have to do what we have to do, but we think the five weeks between the Florida Derby and the Kentucky Derby would work for us. He is professional, he knows what to do and he has experience from last year."
Zanelli said Tomcito would remain at Keeneland until shortly before the Derby.
"We'll come back and breeze next week up there (at Churchill Downs)," Zanelli added. "At this point, I think we'll stay put (at Keeneland) until the last few days."
Unlike his Kentucky Derby rivals, Tomcito has already run and won at the Kentucky Derby distance of a mile and a quarter and the Belmont S. (G1) distance of a mile and a half. He has graded stakes earnings of $151,292.
Correction: Lane's End S. (G2) winner ADRIANO (A.P. Indy) did not work at Keeneland on Tuesday.
APRIL 10, 2008
by James Scully
Saturday featured a whirlwind of three key prep races. COLONEL JOHN (Tiznow) lived up to expectations in the Santa Anita Derby (G1), solidifying his status as a top Kentucky Derby (G1) contender with a late-running victory. TAKE OF EKATI (Tale of Cat), a classy juvenile who had been written off following a clunker in the Louisiana Derby (G2), gained a measure of redemption with his late rally in the Wood Memorial (G1). And the Illinois Derby (G2) was a complete shocker, with maiden winner RECAPTURETHEGLORY (Cherokee Run) rolling to a four-length, wire-to-wire score at nearly 16-1.
We'll start with "The Colonel." The WinStar homebred caught a game BOB BLACK JACK (Stormy Jack) in deep stretch of the Santa Anita Derby, winning by a half-length on the wire, and Colonel John will head to Louisville, Kentucky, with a two-for-two mark this season, opening his sophomore campaign with a half-length victory in the March 1 Sham S. (G3). Both wins came at 1 1/8 miles, and the Eoin Harty-trained colt owns an excellent pedigree for the 1 1/4-mile distance. Jockey Corey Nakatani will be pursuing his first Kentucky Derby win.
Colonel John's lack of a triple-digit BRIS Speed rating is disconcerting, but he's proving to be a powerful finisher. He closed well for runner-up honors in his two-year-old finale, earning a 106 BRIS Late Pace rating in the December 22 CashCall Futurity (G1), and netted a 115 Late Pace number in the Sham, racing up on the lead from the start in a slow-paced race. Colonel John reverted to rating tactics in the Santa Anita Derby, patiently traveling in midpack during the early stages, and left himself with plenty of work to do in the stretch. He rallied in dynamic fashion to win going away, netting a 118 Late Pace rating while registering a career-best 98 Speed rating, and his Speed ratings will keep getting better.
With a solid two-year-old foundation to his credit, Colonel John will enter the Kentucky Derby on the upswing off a lightly raced three-year-old campaign. All signs point toward a peak performance on Derby Day, with his long strides devouring ground through the stretch at Churchill Downs, and Colonel John can put himself in a favorable position with his tactical speed. His supporters got great value at 19-1 and 17-1, respectively, in Pool 1 and 2 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager. Colonel John closed at 6-1 in Pool 3.
Dirt remains a question. Harty plans to drill Colonel John over Churchill's track the week before, but the colt owns no experience on natural soil, making all six career appearances over synthetic surfaces in California. However, it's easy to imagine him taking to a dirt track with his breeding (sire Tiznow won the Breeders' Cup Classic [G1] at Churchill). The unbeaten Zenyatta, who is by 2007 Derby-winning sire Street Cry (Ire), had no trouble transferring her outstanding synthetic form into her dirt debut in Saturday's Apple Blossom H. (G1) at Oaklawn Park, knocking off champion Ginger Punch (Awesome Again) with a sensational late run. Nobody should be surprised to see Colonel John do the same.
Colonel John looks as dangerous as they come in this year's Kentucky Derby crop.
Bob Black Jack turned in a honest effort while stretching out to 1 1/8 miles for the first time. He distinguished himself as a sprinter over the winter, winning the six-furlong Sunshine Millions Dash at Santa Anita in 1:06 2/5 on January 26, and recorded a solid third when making his two-turn debut next time out in the 1 1/16-mile San Felipe S. (G2), finishing 1 3/4 lengths back of the winning Georgie Boy (Tribal Rule). After setting the pace in his three previous starts, Bob Black Jack settled nicely off the flank of pacesetter COAST GUARD (Stormy Atlantic) in second, waiting until the stretch to make his move for the lead in the Santa Anita Derby. He gained the advantage late and never quit trying while drifting in and out. In terms of getting 1 1/4 miles, Bob Black Jack owns little-to-no chance from a pedigree perspective, and he'll likely revert back to sprinting at some point this season, with the seven-furlong King's Bishop S. (G1) at Saratoga being a perfect target. But he's earned his chance to compete in the Kentucky Derby.
Coast Guard held commendably for third, but lacks graded earnings (27th on the Kentucky Derby list with $130,000). He'll be a fresh horse in the Preakness (G1). YANKEE BRAVO (Yankee Gentlemen) entered the stretch full of run but flattened out in the final furlongs, checking in fourth. He's too far back on the earnings list in 33rd.
The Santa Anita Derby served as a potential nightmare for the connections of 9-5 favorite EL GATO MALO (El Corredor), who earned only $15,000 for his fifth-place finish. El Gato Malo launched an early move to reach contention midway on the far turn in the Santa Anita Derby, but he was in trouble when David Flores went to the whip approaching the stretch drive and came up empty in the lane. Winner of the San Rafael S. (G3) and second in the Sham, El Gato Malo seemed assured of securing a spot in the Kentucky Derby field entering the Santa Anita Derby, but he's now on the outside looking in with $145,000 in graded earnings, ranking 25th on the graded earnings list. Some of the horses ahead of him will be withdrawn from consideration in the coming weeks, but the three remaining preps -- the $1 million Arkansas Derby (G2), $750,000 Blue Grass S. (G1) and $325,000 Lexington S. (G2) -- will vault prospects past him as well. The gelding needs some help.
Tale of Ekati rallied determinedly to catch WAR PASS (Cherokee Run) in the Wood Memorial, responding to jockey Edgar Prado's desperate urgings to wear down the beleaguered pacesetter in the final yards for a half-length victory. Winner of the seven-furlong Futurity (G2) prior to a fourth in the sloppy Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1), Tale of Ekati entered 2008 with big expectations, but the Barclay Tagg pupil waited until March 8 to make his seasonal bow and didn't get much out of the Louisiana Derby, racing far back throughout after a slow start. He drilled consecutive four-furlong works from the gate at the Palm Meadows training center in preparation for the Wood, and the bay colt broke much better, settling into a stalking third for the run down the backstretch.
War Pass got burned by the rabbit INNER LIGHT (Songandaprayer), who forced War Pass to run unreasonable early splits in :22 2/5 and :46 over the slow Aqueduct track. War Pass registered huge E1 and E2 Early Pace numbers of 121 and 123, but the early exploits took their toll, leaving him rubber-legged by the stretch drive. Both the winner and runner-up finished slowly. Tale of Ekati, who stalked a few lengths behind the leaders down the backstretch, was able to save more for the stretch, but he was softened up by the wicked pace, earning a 77 Late Pace rating. War Pass got a 71.
Tale of Ekati received a 100 Speed rating in the Wood. He owns a regal female pedigree for 1 1/4 miles, and Prado will attempt to secure a stalking trip in the first flight behind the front runners. That proved to be the catbird seat for the Tagg-trained Funny Cide in 2003, but Funny Cide had three starts to build upon that year, entering the Derby off a runner-up effort in the Wood that received a 111 Speed rating. Tale of Ekati is more lightly raced, and he's no lock to get the Derby distance or trip (a slow start would compromise him in a 20-horse field). On the other side of the coin, Tale of Ekati owns solid attributes, utilizing an effective stalk-and-pace style to garner his first Grade 1 victory last time, and he figures to be overlooked on Derby Day. He'll offer value at double-digit odds.
War Pass impressed with a much-improved effort and, given his class, he'd have a shot to lead wire-to-wire at Churchill with a trip like War Emblem enjoyed in 2002 where he was able to dictate everything on a uncontested lead. The problem is BIG BROWN (Boundary), Bob Black Jack and Recapturetheglory all figure to be winging it early, threatening to turn this year's Derby into a race similar to the 2001 edition when the late-running Monarchos capitalized upon suicidal early fractions of :22 1/5, :44 4/5 and 1:09 1/5. Of course, many observers thought Spend a Buck had little chance in 1985 with the other speed in the field, but he shot right to the front and opened a six-length advantage through a half-mile in :45 4/5 and six furlongs in 1:09 3/5 en route to a front-running demolition.
War Pass got little out of his last-place finish in the Tampa Bay Derby (G3), but the Wood Memorial figures to tighten him up for the main prize. There's no guarantee he'll last 10 furlongs, but what happens if he gets loose early? Dismiss him from consideration at your own risk.
The Wood set up perfectly for a closer, but COURT VISION (Gulch) was woefully unable to capitalize, flattening out after closing into contention at the top of the stretch. He spotted the leaders nearly 20 lengths during the early stages and earned only a 89 Late Pace rating for his non-threatening third. Co-owned by WinStar, the Bill Mott-trained Court Vision received the same two-race program as Colonel John, but that strategy won't work perfectly for all horses. Court Vision doesn't appear set for a top performance, entering the Kentucky Derby off a pair of clunkers, but the one-run closer can't be completely disregarded due to the possibility of a pace meltdown, which could open the barn door for all the late runners in the field. Court Vision is a Grade 3 winner over the track, winning the one-mile Iroquois S. (G3) at Churchill in late October, but he'll need to improve significantly over the next four weeks to challenge.
ANAK NAKAL (Victory Gallop) made no impact from off the pace in the Wood, checking in fifth, but the Kentucky Jockey Club S. (G2) winner has the graded earnings to make the Derby field. The Nick Zito-trained colt is in the same boat with Court Vision -- he doesn't look fast enough to win the Derby but hopes to get lucky from off the pace like a Giacomo.
In the Illinois Derby, Recapturetheglory pulled off a stunner, leading gate-to-wire from his rail post under E.T. Baird, and the upset puts co-owner and trainer Louie Roussel back in the potential spotlight for this year's Kentucky Derby. Roussel brought a serious contender to the Derby 20 years ago in Risen Star, who is probably Recapturetheglory's namesake, but the dark bay colt could do no better than third following a wide trip. He went on to win the Preakness and Belmont S. (G1) en route to championship honors.
Recapturetheglory entered the Illinois Derby with only a maiden win to his credit, taking a one-mile and 70-yard event by a nose at Hawthorne last November, and it was difficult to envision him getting an uncontested lead on Saturday. But GOLDEN SPIKES (Seeking the Gold) didn't run with him early, settling into a stalking second entering the first turn, and the top-five finishers pretty much held their spot the entire way. Inside speed fared well at Hawthorne on Saturday, and the outcome looks very suspicious. Recapturetheglory got away with soft fractions, allowing Baird to turn for home with plenty of horse underneath him, and he probably won't reproduce this effort at Churchill.
The Illinois Derby proved to be a tremendous disappointment for DENIS OF CORK (Harlan's Holiday), who finished fifth as the even-money favorite. Unbeaten in three previous career starts, Denis of Cork distinguished himself as an up-and-coming Kentucky Derby contender with an excellent 2 1/4-length score in the February 18 Southwest S. (G3) at Oaklawn Park. Given his lack of foundation, the Rebel S. (G2) and Arkansas Derby made perfect sense for his next starts, and the Arkansas route provided the perfect set-up for the connections of Smarty Jones, Afleet Alex and Curlin, who accounted for five Triple Crown race wins over the last four years. Unfortunately for Denis of Cork, the sheet guys (who were consulted for direction) apparently felt they were much smarter than John Servis, Tim Ritchey and Steve Asmussen. They advised a cockeyed approach with only one race over the next 75 days for an unseasoned sophomore, denying Denis of Cork his best chance to win this year's Kentucky Derby. He was one-paced throughout on Saturday and probably didn't get much out of the race. Not only has the strategy likely backfired in terms of readiness, but Denis of Cork could potentially miss the Kentucky Derby with $165,000 in graded earnings (21st currently on the graded earnings list).
Upcoming
PYRO (Pulpit), who established himself as the leading Kentucky Derby contender by virtue of his visually impressive victories in the Louisiana Derby (G2) and Risen Star S. (G3), didn't scare away the opposition in Saturday's Blue Grass at Keeneland. Eleven runners will line up to challenge the Asmussen trainee, including Fountain of Youth (G2) winner COOL COAL MAN (Mineshaft); Gotham (G3) conqueror VISIONAIRE (Grand Slam); Tampa Bay Derby (G3) hero BIG TRUCK (Hook and Ladder); and the dangerous duo of COWBOY CAL (Giant's Causeway) and MONBA (Maria's Mon) from the Todd Pletcher stable.
Saturday's Arkansas Derby won't feature the same star quality (none of the expected 14 entrants are ranked in the top 20 on the graded earnings list), but it promises to be a good betting race. BLACKBERRY ROAD (Gone West), Z FORTUNE (Siphon [Brz]), GAYEGO (Gilded Time) and LIBERTY BULL (Holy Bull) are among the top contenders in the wide-open event.
Top 10
1) PYRO -- Working well at Keeneland in advance of Blue Grass
2) COLONEL JOHN -- Rolled late to win Santa Anita Derby; classy colt figures to relish added ground in Derby
3) BIG BROWN -- Distance and seasoning are questions, but he's a threat on talent alone
4) ADRIANO -- Impressive Lane's End winner is good enough to challenge if he handles dirt
5) COOL COAL MAN -- Fountain of Youth winner isn't getting much respect; could be live for Zito on Derby Day
6) TALE OF EKATI -- Wood winner didn't finish fast, but he's headed in the right direction for Tagg
7) WAR PASS -- Eligible to improve off Wood; he'll try to shake loose early and would love a wet track
8) VISIONAIRE -- Gotham winner is talented but 1 1/4 miles figures to severely test him
9) COURT VISION -- Two efforts this year are uninspiring; late runner will need to show much more on May 3
10) BIG TRUCK -- Won't be surprised to see another strong showing in Blue Grass
Jockey Corey Nakatani, left, aboard Colonel John won the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby on Saturday. Colonel John is a legitimate contender at the Kentucky Derby on May 3.
By Bob Mieszerski, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
April 8, 2008
Two of the certainties of spring are the NHL playoffs will begin without the Los Angeles Kings and that UCLA will be a Final Four loser.
Another is the Kentucky Derby will have a full field, meaning 20 3-year-old horses will enter the starting gate May 3 at Churchill Downs.
So many of them should not bother this year. At this point, it is extremely difficult to imagine any horse other than Pyro, Big Brown or Colonel John winning the 134th Derby.
Pyro, who will have his final prep in the $750,000 Blue Grass Stakes on Saturday at Keeneland, and Florida Derby winner Big Brown are generally considered the top two 3-year-olds in the country, but Colonel John also deserves mention and could upset both of them in 25 days.
Although he has yet to prove himself on conventional dirt, Colonel John was very professional in his best win, in the Santa Anita Derby. Being a son of two time Breeders' Cup Classic winner Tiznow, he also should have no trouble with the Derby distance of 1 ¼ miles.
Colonel John was the only winner of a Derby prep on Saturday who is a legitimate contender in Louisville.
The Wood Memorial at Aqueduct was an ugly affair. Tale of Ekati prevailed despite a turtle-like final eighth of a mile. Rest assured, the last furlong of the Kentucky Derby won't take more than 14 seconds to complete.
As for War Pass, the Derby is the last place he should compete in three weeks from Saturday. If the 2-year-old champion of 2007 couldn't win the Wood after being hounded early through some quick fractions by a hopeless longshot, how is he going to take the heat of Big Brown at Churchill Downs and keep going? War Pass is a one-dimensional speed horse who needs everything in his favor, and that is not a trip he is going to get on the first Saturday of next month. If he does start, a 16th or 17th place finish - or worse -- is in his future.
All the Illinois Derby showed, which was won by front-running longshot Recapturetheglory, is that Atoned, Denis of Cork and Z Humor aren't legitimate Derby threats. Recapturetheglory, whose only win before Saturday came against maidens, will never get an easier trip. All he will be in the Derby is another pace casualty.
Of all the stakes races run around the country Saturday, no winner was more impressive than Zenyatta in the Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark.
The massive daughter of Street Cry blew away a field that included Ginger Punch, the 2007 older filly/mare champion, for her fourth win in as many starts for owners Jerry and Ann Moss and trainer John Shirreffs.
It would be exciting to see Zenyatta take on males in the coming months because there is no handicap horse in California that could touch her. Her presence would spice up the $750,000 Hollywood Gold Cup, which will be run June 28 at Hollywood Park.
Here's the problem. The Derby does not have an also eligible list. So, after the entries are locked on the Wedenesday before the race, that spot is dead. If she decides late to go in the Oaks, then she took away a spot from a possible contender. I was unaware that Graded earnings in Filly races counted towards the KY Derby eligibility. In the future, the super-trainer stables can use this "cross-entering" move as a strategy to eliminate contenders.
Greetings from the Gluegrass: Will Big Brown and Pyro Choices of Designer Footwear Turn It Into the Ken-STUCK-y Derby?
Risen Star and Louisiana Derby winner Pyro impressed a lot of people this winter. He did it wearing glue-on shoes called Polyflex, shown here on stakes winner Malibu Mint. Little Belle won the Ashford Stakes at Keeneland wearing these shoes last week; that's the track that Pyro will run on today. The shoes are more or less transparent, with a yellowish hue. They have a steel wire core which is shaped like the foot in a special mold, then urethane is poured in to the ideal shape. A steel toe insert completes the kit. (Hoofcare and Lameness Journal photo)
Glue-on horseshoes are the stuff of legend this year as at least two of the Derby favorites flaunt their footwear on the road to the Triple Crown.
In the Southeast corner, we have Big Brown, winner of the Florida Derby by a landslide in spite of recovering from heel wall separations in both front feet. The photo (bottom of this post) shows a typical injury of this type, usually caused by a subsolar abscess, trimming too short, or training and racing on hard tracks (or a combination of these factors).
Ian McKinlay, the New Jersey quarter crack specialist who repaired the detached wall on the first foot, said that the colt "is not a bad-footed horse" and just needed cushioning on the inside heel where an abscess had been. "Chances are, it will grow down, on both feet, and he'll be fine going into the future," Ian said yesterday. "His trainer knows what he's doing."
Ian's solution, which we hope to show on the blog, is a standard one; he says the injury is quite common among both Standardbreds and Thoroughbreds. He cleaned up the wall from the quarter back to the heel and put a gum rubber insert under the deficit. There's one heel nail holding the glued shoe from slipping, along with a copper clip (the PMMA adhesive sticks very well to copper) on the outside. The gum rubber material is like window caulking; it acts like a gasket. The glue-y shoe is a regular race plate.
(To read more about Big Brown's fancy footwork, see photo below and scroll down to posts and photos from earlier this week, marked April 8.)
And in Kentucky, all eyes will be on Pyro in the Bluegrass Stakes today. I didn't know until this week that Pyro won the Risen Star and Louisiana Derby wearing Curtis Burns' Polyflex all-urethane shoes, and he will apparently have them on today, as well,to run on Keeneland's Polytrack. Pyro's gluesmith is Steve Asmussen's regular horseshoer, David Hinton.
What's in a name? Polytrack seems to agree with Polyflex; you'll agree if you watched Kiaran McLaughlin's trainee Little Belle win the Ashland Stakes at Keeneland last Saturday, with Curtis's see-through shoes glued on her fast little feet.
And who gets the last word in this sticky story? That maven of the media, 2007 Belmont Stakes winner Rags to Riches. It seems R2R, who now resides at Ashford Stud in Versailles, Kentucky, was bred to Giant's Causeway last week. To celebrate her future marehood, farrier Steve Norman pulled her raceplates and replaced them with glueons which will stay on for a cycle or two. This is called "transitional shoeing" and is meant to encourage sole growth before she goes barefoot.
Traditionally, fillies and mares coming from the track have their shoes yanked off and they go straight to a barefoot lifestyle. This usually means gimping around the breeding farm for a number of weeks, since the feet are often cut quite short at the track, and the soles can be thin, until the feet toughen up.
One horse who I cannot imagine in gimp-mode is Rags to Riches.
Note: There are special shoes for gluing on racehorses, such as the Polyflex shoes or Sigafoos shoes, with cloth cuffs. Farriers can also glue on or glue-and-nail normal plates or shoes. There are some amazingly creative people working on these horses.
Thanks to all the farriers and trainers who contributed to this and other posts. I know they had a lot to do this week but most took the time to talk because these new shoes are past the "experimental" stage and are now considered creative equipment adjustments. We've come a long way.
This foot has been cleaned up after being blown out by a subsolar heel abscess, similar to the problem that necessitated glue-on shoes for Kentucky Derby hopeful Big Brown. Ian McKinley padded the exposed heel with gum rubber and glued window caulking like a gasket to hold it in so the area is cushioned. At this stage in the procedure, dead or hangnailish wall has been removed. This is NOT Big Brown, who is now well on his way in the healing process. (Ian McKinlay photo)
The 3-year-old colt, who was overtaken in deep stretch by Colonel John, will run in blinkers for the first time when he works Monday, trainer James Kasparoff said yesterday.
The horse will work in a half-mile Monday in company with one of my horses, said the 33-year-old Kasparoff, who has only four horses in his stable. Were going to try some blinkers on him just to make sure hes not too aggressive with them. As long as he can get in the Derby, hes going to go. I intend to take him as long as he qualifies in graded earnings.
Bob Black Jack has $180,000 in graded earnings and is tied with Visionaire. Depending on the outcome of three graded races, he could be on the Derby bubble.
Well see what happens after this weekend, Kasparoff said. There are a lot of horses that can jump up and get ahead of us. In theory, I think there could be five horses that could pass us. The Arkansas Derby pays $600,000, $200,000 and $100,000, so if a horse is sitting with $80,000 and runs third, now hes at $180,000. But as long as my horse can get in on money, were going.
Kasparoff dismisses criticism that Bob Black Jack is a speed horse with distance limitations, and could find the mile and a quarter of the Kentucky Derby beyond his scope. Bob Black Jack, a son of Stormy Jack-Mollys Prospector, set a world record for six furlongs in winning the Sunshine Millions Dash in 1:06.53 on Jan. 26.
The horse will do fine going a mile and a quarter, Kasparoff said. Hell have no problem going a mile and a quarter. He got a mile and a sixteenth, he got a mile and an eighth, and he was finishing in that race. Colonel John was life and death to get him. He had to give everything he had, and he didnt start running until he got to the outside. We were finishing; we werent crawling home, so a mile and a quarter wont be a problem.
The latest thing I heard last week was the Oaks, Jones thinks she is special but says she doesnt have enough gate speed to really clear the colts if she gets hung out in the 14 -20 hole and she isn't a huge filly to get bumped around. I think the Oaks is going to be on of the best editions of that race in a long while. Pure Clan is going to run huge that day with a better size field than that 4 horse field she ran in last with Eight Belles. Look for Pure Clan to run big at a huge price, Pure Clan will probably go off the biggest price of her racing career.
FB
Big Brown is scheduled to work two more times at Palm Meadows prior to the May 3 Kentucky Derby (G1), with the second move forecast for April 28. Big Brown will depart for Louisville, Kentucky, later that day.
"His talent just overwhelms the other horses," Dutrow said.
I could not agree with you more here FB...And I believe Pure Clan will enjoy the 1 1/8 more than Eight Belles. There are A LOT of great horses that can not run in the lane well inside of horses, Curlin isn't near as good inside of horses in the lane as he is outside of horses. Plenty of superstars like that. Pure Clan in that last race appears to be that kind. Don't understand the merry-go-round of jocks aboard her, but there was no excuse for the jock alllowing Eight Belles first run on her and to get her inside horses and in a bit tight in the lane. Watch inside the 1/16 pole when she is moved off the rail and to the outside, her acceleration and the ground she makes up on Eight Belles losing only a length. On the gallop out, she went by her easily and they were both under a drive. Really, really, like Pure Clan in the Oaks.
The owner of several horses, in the market for a new and more effective veterinarian, approached one whose clients have been prospering. He inquired about inevitably exorbitant fees.
Fine, the owner said to the vet, but I want the same stuff youre giving (name of trainer).
That, the vet said, is very expensive and has to be paid for up-front.
Something about this conversation would suggest that the substance referenced is not one of those approved to therapeutic use in New York or perhaps anywhere the cobra venom found in trainer Patrick Biancones barn at Keeneland last year, for instance, was very expensive -- and brings up the controversial issue of the role of veterinarians in racing.
This brought to mind another story, one very old, but since the subject remains active, he too will remain anonymous.
Years ago, during the usual après-race stop at Espositos (the greatest racetrack saloon ever) , a groom who had spend much of the day drinking beer was catching a short nap at the bar when the mention of his employer caused him to regain consciousness.
Whats going on with (name of Hall of Fame trainer)? he was asked. You cant beat him lately.
The groom blinked, snorted, took a drink, said, New vet, and resumed his nap.
While the issue of steroids has found its way from baseball to racing, more sinister forces are at work on the backstretch, knowledge of which is beyond the reach of most trainers but squarely in the domain of the veterinary profession and while the majority of its practitioners observe the rules, it is not a group without those who color outside the lines. Owners, after all, are more result than method oriented.
There are opposing forces at work here. One on hand, the sport depends on the perception of integrity despite the absence of transparency. On the other, the treatment and medication of horses beyond the most benign and identification of the attending veterinarian is not part of the body of information made available to the public. The resultant perception is that the sport is dominated by those most skilled at avoiding the detection of illegal, performance-enhancing substances.
While much lip service is devoted to transparency, racing is closer to opaque in the area of disclosure of information regarding medication and the identity of those charged with its administration.
Pari-mutuel pools are financial markets and that are unfortunately operated outside the constraints of statutory reporting requirements. The public disclosure of medication and the identification of attending veterinarians would be important tools to handicappers, who demand but receive none of the protection against fraud and manipulation that investors consider their right.
Inclusion of this information which should include every medication administered to a horse before a race as well as the administering veterinarian -- in program and past performance data is every bit as important as the listing of trainer and jockey, perhaps more so.
The most important goal of racings regulators and image makers should be to eliminate the term juice from the lexicon. One of the things every horseplayer learns is that the things most injurious to solvency are those that go unseen and the most dangerous individuals in the sport are unknown in the public arena.
Monba, ridden by Edgar Prado, charged to the finish to win the Blue Grass Stakes in Lexington, Ky., on Saturday. Pyro, the favorite, finished 10th. (By Ed Reinke -- Associated Press)
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By Andrew Beyer
Tuesday, April 15, 2008; Page E03
When the undistinguished colt Monba won Saturday's Blue Grass Stakes with the highly regarded Kentucky Derby contender Pyro finishing 10th, the result may have surprised or confused many racing fans. It deserved another reaction, too: sheer dismay. The prep races leading up to the Derby have in many cases been shorn of significance or interest.
The weeks preceding the Derby used to be one of the best times of the year for thoroughbred racing. Although the sport's overall popularity has declined, the Triple Crown series and the 3-year-old prep races leading into it commanded widespread attention from the media and the public. Even casual fans watch the prep races intently, looking for the colt who will move them to exclaim, "That's my Derby horse!"
The prep races have prompted few such exclamations this year. The current generation of 3-year-olds has been disappointing; neither War Pass nor Pyro, the top 2-year-olds of 2007, has lived up to expectations. Only one colt has delivered anything resembling a spectacular performance: Big Brown, in his Florida Derby victory. The quality of this year's Derby crop is just a transitory disappointment, but the prep races have undergone what may be a permanent change for the worse.
The major reason has been the installation of synthetic surfaces at the sites of significant 3-year-old stakes -- Santa Anita, Turfway Park and particularly Keeneland. Everyone involved in the game -- from Hall of Fame trainers to gamblers in the grandstand -- has been struggling to understand the nuances of these new surfaces. Everyone knows by now that early speed is generally less important on synthetics than it is on dirt. Almost everyone agrees that synthetic surfaces and dirt are two different games, and that a horse is unlikely to display the same level of ability on both surfaces.
Most mature bettors never expect handicapping to be easy; they accept synthetic tracks as just another factor that needs to be understood and mastered. But in the 3-year-old stakes races that precede the Kentucky Derby, the presence of synthetic tracks has not merely complicated the game. It has made rational handicapping judgments almost impossible.
Never was this as apparent as it was Saturday in Keeneland's Blue Grass Stakes -- a race that was once the most meaningful of all Derby preps. Keeneland's Polytrack is less kind to speed horses than almost any other synthetic track; accordingly, jockeys put their horses under early restraint and try to accelerate late, tactics that produce bunched finishes and sometimes bizarre results. Last year, the leading 3-year-old, Street Sense, lost the Blue Grass in a four-horse photo finish, a result that had nothing to do with the relative ability of the horses. Street Sense came back to win the Derby, while the other three finished 11th, 12th and 17th at Churchill Downs.
But if the 2007 result was fluky, 2008 was incomprehensible. Pyro, the electrifying stretch-runner, was by far the most accomplished horse in the field, but he was making his first start on a synthetic track. Cool Coal Man, winner of the Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream, was considered his main rival; he, too, had done all of his previous racing on dirt. Big Truck was a well-regarded contender, too, after winning the Tampa Bay Derby on dirt.
On Polytrack, none of these three got into contention; they finished ninth, 10th and 11th in the field of 12. Meanwhile, the top four finishers, headed by Monba, were all colts who had never finished in the money in a stakes race on dirt.
What was the significance of Pyro's bad performance? ESPN's Saturday telecast featured two of the best analysts in the sport, Randy Moss and former jockey Jerry Bailey, and each voiced a strong opinion. Asked if he would forgive the bad effort because it was on Polytrack, Bailey replied: "Absolutely. A horse that good can't run that bad [without a legitimate excuse]." Moss shot back, "I'm not buying it," observing that even mediocre rivals outfinished Pyro in the stretch. "Maybe he didn't like the track, but what about the nine horses ahead of him?" Moss asked. "Did they all like the track better than he did?"
Handicappers will surely have more questions like these when Keeneland runs the final important Derby prep, the Lexington Stakes, on Saturday. And they certainly have questions about most of the California-based Derby contenders, such as Colonel John and El Gato Malo, who have spent their entire careers running over artificial surfaces on the Southern California circuit. At least the form on Hollywood Park's Cushion Track bears some resemblance to dirt form; Gayego made a successful transition to dirt when he won the Arkansas Derby on Saturday. But an element of uncertainty nevertheless surrounds all of California's other Derby contenders.
Picking the winner of the Kentucky Derby has never been easy under any circumstances. Because it is such a rigorous test of handicapping skills, bettors have always cherished the bragging rights that come from being right in this race. But now it has become an unfair test. Horseplayers can do little more than guess whether Pyro's poor showing at Keeneland is excusable, or whether the top California horses will duplicate their synthetic-track form when they run at Churchill Downs. The prep races run on synthetic surfaces raise questions that can't be answered with any confidence -- at least not until after the Derby has been run.
by Steve Haskin
Updated: April 18, 2008
Florida Derby (gr. I) winner Big Brown, likely favorite for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), breezed five furlongs in 1:00 3/5 at Palm Meadows Friday with regular exercise rider Michelle Nevin aboard.
Owned by IEAH Stables and Paul Pompa, the son of Boundary Mien, by Lyphard has won all three of his career stakes by a total of 29 lengths, including a five-length score in the Florida Derby.
He breezed just like he always breezes five-eighths; well within himself, comfortable, no pressure, trainer Rick Dutrow said. Were as happy as we can be with him right now. We dont need to ask him for any more than that. We dont even ask him for that. He just gallops around there at his own pace; its beautiful. He and Michelle seem to have a little thing going when they get to their breeze. Every time shes breezed this horse its gone great.
Dutrow said Big Brown will have one more work at Palm Meadows and then fly to Louisiville on April 28.