IEAH Stable to help family of stricken police officer
The owners of Triple Crown hopeful BIG BROWN (Boundary) announced Friday that they would donate a portion of the colt's earnings from the $1 million Belmont S. (G1) to help a establish a scholarship fund for the young son of a Nassau County police officer who was critically injured in the line of duty.
On Sunday, a drunken driver with a suspended license slammed into Kenneth Baribault's police car during a traffic stop on the Long Island Expressway. Baribault had pulled over a sport utility vehicle on suspicion of drunken driving when the driver of a silver Mercedes, whom police said was drunk, plowed into the back of the police cruiser. The impact pushed the police car into the SUV and lifted it six feet off the ground, according to witnesses.
Baribault remains in a coma at Nassau County Medical Center, having undergone surgery to relieve swelling to his brain.
In a news conference at Belmont Park, IEAH Stable owners Michael Iavorone and Richard Schiavo, both of Long Island, pledged to donate a substantial portion of whatever Big Brown earns in the final leg of racing's Triple Crown toward college expenses for Baribault's six-year-old son, Chris.
"In times like this it is imperative we come together," Iavorone said. "We want to stand up and make something good happen. It's not just a financial thing -- we want to be there for the family."
Nassau County Executive Thomas R. Suozzi and Police Commissioner Lawrence W. Mulvey, both of whom spoke in front of the statue of 1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat in Belmont Park's paddock, praised the owners for their generosity.
"We are all pulling for Big Brown in the Belmont here on Long Island, but we are also pulling for Big Blue -- Kenny Baribault," Suozzi said. "This means the family has one less thing to worry about as he recovers. It's one less burden in his family's life."
Big Brown, the undefeated winner of the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness S. (G1), likely will be an odds-on favorite to win the 1 1/2-mile Belmont and become the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed swept all three races in 1978. He will be ridden in the race by Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux, who suffered a skull fracture in 1990 when he was kicked in the head by a horse following a spill.
"This is very close to home," Desormeaux said. "I was five seconds away from being in an induced coma when I was trampled by a horse. My prayers are with the family."
Big Brown's trainer, Richard Dutrow Jr., said the officer's family has a standing invitation to come visit Big Brown in his barn at Belmont Park.
"No one has asked that I know of, but they are welcome," Dutrow said.
Big Brown went to the track at 5:30 a.m. (EDT) Friday and galloped for a mile and a half, said his regular exercise rider, Michelle Nevin.
"He went for a walk through the paddock -- it's a beautiful day for horses," Nevin said.
Big Brown, who is undefeated in five career starts, is scheduled to breeze on May 31, weather permitting.
Meanwhile, Peter Pan S. (G2) winner CASINO DRIVE (Mineshaft), who figures to be the primary threat to Big Brown in the Belmont, had an easy canter around Belmont Park Friday morning.
"He's done well every day," said Nobutaka Tada, racing manager for Casino Drive's owner, Hidetoshi Yamamoto. "On Sunday, he will go a little faster than usual, and then he will breeze on Wednesday."
Tada said he and the colt's connections were enjoying the experience of being involved in the Triple Crown and all the hype that surrounds it. The previous day, Dutrow had said that if everything goes right, Casino Drive had "no chance" to beat Big Brown in the Belmont despite being the sibling of the last two Belmont Stakes winners, Rags to Riches (2007) and Jazil (2006).
"We are enjoying hearing his comments about Casino Drive," Tada said. "It's fun. Big Brown is a great horse, and we are honored to run with him in a great race."
Casino Drive, who won the Peter Pan on May 10 under Desormeaux, who rides Big Brown, does not yet have a rider for the Belmont. Tada said he hopes to have an announcement about a jockey for the colt by Monday.
brisnet.com
Recapturetheglory, Racecar Rhapsody added to Preakness mix
The connections of RECAPTURETHEGLORY (Cherokee Run) and RACECAR RHAPSODY (Tale of the Cat) said on Wednesday that both horses would run in the $1 million Preakness S. (G1) on May 17 at Pimlico. In other news on Wednesday, BIG BROWN (Boundary), the undefeated Kentucky Derby (G1) winner, returned to the track at Churchill Downs, and TRES BORRACHOS (Ecton Park) and GIANT MOON (Giant's Moon) worked in preparation for the middle jewel of the Triple Crown.
Recapturetheglory jogged a mile and galloped a mile under assistant trainer Lara Van Deren on Wednesday at Churchill Downs. The bay colt finished fifth in the Kentucky Derby for trainer and co-owner Louie Roussel III and is currently the only Derby horse other than Big Brown who is headed to the Preakness.
"First of all we know that we belong," said co-owner Ronnie Lamarque from New Orleans. "Of the 33,000 horses that were foaled three years ago, 20 of them made it to the Derby and we beat 15 of them. Big Brown is a bear, but we're not going to run in it to run second. We're there to win and we believe it is a speed-favoring racetrack. I'll look at all the other entrants. They don't scare me at all and I believe our horse definitely belongs, and we feel like the Preakness is our kind of race."
Recapturetheglory will leave Louisville, Kentucky, on Friday evening and arrived at Pimlico Saturday morning. E.T. Baird has the riding assignment.
Roussel and Lamarque are no strangers to the Preakness. They combined to take the 1988 renewal with Risen Star, a horse who finished third in the Derby two weeks earlier.
Trainer Kenny McPeek informed Pimlico Racing Secretary Georganne Hale on Wednesday that Racecar Rhapsody, who finished fourth in the Lexington S. (G2) on April 19 at Keeneland, is headed to the Preakness.
"The horse is training really well," McPeek said. "We kind of feel like we might be running for second money with Big Brown being as impressive as he's been, but you never know."
Robby Albarado, who has ridden the colt in all six of his career starts, will have the mount as he shoots for his second consecutive Preakness victory. He piloted Curlin (Smart Strike) to victory last year.
The Preakness starter list now stands at nine: Big Brown, Recapturetheglory, Racecar Rhapsody, BEHINDATTHEBAR (Forest Wildcat), GIANT MOON (Giant's Causeway), KENTUCKY BEAR (Mr. Greeley), STEVIL (Maria's Mon), TRES BORRACHOS (Ecton Park) and YANKEE BRAVO (Yankee Gentleman). Others still considering Maryland's signature race are: HARLEM ROCKER (Macho Uno), RILEY TUCKER (Harlan's Holiday) and MACHO AGAIN (Macho Uno).
With Michelle Nevin up, Big Brown jogged a mile alongside a pony on Wednesday at Churchill Downs. Trainer Rick Dutrow, feeling much better after being under the weather since the weekend, liked what he saw and said Big Brown would gallop in the morning.
The two weeks between the Kentucky Derby and Preakness continues to be Dutrow's biggest concern.
"Coming back in two weeks, he is stacked up against it," Dutrow said. "He's not a robot. He has run fast races and fast numbers and two weeks is not ideal timing. You need time to regroup, and we haven't got that kind of time."
One fast number that particularly intrigued Dutrow was Big Brown's Kentucky Derby performance.
"I heard that he ran the fastest Ragozin Sheets number of a Kentucky Derby winner," Dutrow said. "It was a minus-1."
Dutrow was asked what that could mean for the 1 3/16-mile Preakness.
"He's got to react to it, but he is not going to need to run a minus-1 again," Dutrow said. "He's not going to need it. The other horses going into the race, their numbers don't match up with his. They don't even come close. So, I am figuring he can run a 5 and still win the race."
The fact Big Brown has scared off practically all but one of his Derby rivals is fine with Dutrow.
"We only have two weeks. There is nothing I can do," Dutrow said. "I just have to hope that he stays good. There is no serious training involved. There is not a whole lot that depends on me. He has come out of the race good, eaten every oat since he has run. I just have to decide if I am going to give him a little breeze or not before his next race."
Kent Desormeaux, who has ridden Big Brown to his past three victories, has the call. It will be Desormeaux's 11th mount in the Preakness, which he won in 1998 aboard Real Quiet.
Also at Churchill Downs, Tres Borrachos worked five furlongs on a fast track in :59 3/5 under Andy Durnin with trainer Beau Greely looking on from the grandstand. The move was the second-fastest of 30 works at the distance.
Tres Borrachos was timed in fractions of :12, :23 2/5, :35 1/5 and :47 1/5. He galloped out six furlongs in 1:14.
Greely, who owns the bay gelding in partnership with his brother John Greely IV and Phil Houchens, was happy with the work.
"It looked like he didn't get out of a gallop," Greely said. "I had him in :59 and two and out in 1:13. He went beautiful. I will breeze him next Tuesday, probably an easy half, and then ship to Pimlico on Wednesday."
Tyler Baze, who rode Tres Borrachos to a third-place finish in the Arkansas Derby (G2), will retain the mount in the Preakness.
Wednesday's work was the third at Churchill Downs for Tres Borrachos. His first work after arriving in Louisville on April 14 was a three-eighths move on April 22.
"I worked him three-eighths just in case he got in the (Kentucky) Derby," Greely said. "Then it did not look like he would run which, after watching it, it turned out better that he didn't.
"I watched the race in California. It was a tough run race. Other horses look like they kind of got bundled up and I was kind of glad I wasn't in there. Then you had Big Brown, who was absolutely amazing. That horse looks like a superstar."
Greely is eagerly looking forward to the Preakness challenge.
"I think the Preakness will probably suit this horse better than the Derby would have," Greely said. "The turns are a little tighter and it looks like it carries speed, or it has in the past. Hopefully, it will suit him well and it gives him five weeks in between the Arkansas Derby and Preakness."
Tres Borrachos would be Greely's second Preakness starter. He saddled Borrego in the 2004 Preakness to a seventh-place finish after running 10th in the Kentucky Derby two weeks earlier.
At Belmont Park, multiple stakes winner Giant Moon drilled five furlongs on a fast track in 1:01 under exercise rider Caesar Correa. It ranked sixth of 26 at the distance.
"He did exactly what we wanted," trainer Richard Schosberg said. "We're right on schedule. Caesar said he did exactly what we wanted."
Ramon Dominguez, who won a pair of riding titles at Pimlico in 2001, has the call on Giant Moon. The bay colt most recently finished fourth in the Wood Memorial (G1) on April 5 at Aqueduct.
At 4:28 p.m. (EDT) Wednesday, the first Preakness horse arrived at the Pimlico stakes barn when Kentucky Bear completed his 539-mile trip from Lexington, Kentucky, and was bedded down into Stall 9. The chestnut colt most recently finished third in the Blue Grass S. (G1) on April 12 at Keeneland. The Reade Baker trainee will work at Pimlico on Saturday immediately following the renovation break.
"He is very versatile and can do anything," Baker said. "He has natural speed and is not crazy. I think that bodes very for the Preakness."
Assistant trainer-exercise rider Cassie Garcia indicated Kentucky Bear will either jog or walk the shedrow Thursday morning.
Stevil, who most recently finished fourth in the Blue Grass, galloped a mile on Wednesday at Churchill Downs under Megan Smillie. It was his first day back at the track for the gray colt since working a half-mile in :48 3/5 on Monday. John Velazquez, who made his Preakness riding debut last year when he piloted Circular Quay (Thunder Gulch) to a fifth-place finish, will have the mount on Stevil, according to trainer Nick Zito.
"John has ridden for me a lot of times," Zito said. "In fact, he worked Strike the Gold for me at Saratoga when he was a little 18-year-old apprentice."
Stevil is scheduled to work again early next week and then ship to Baltimore on Tuesday.
Yankee Bravo is scheduled to work at Hollywood Park on Thursday.
brisnet.com
Is one a Derby diamond?
Barclay Tagg has the reputation of being a tad rough around the edges, a cantankerous hardboot who has too much work to do with his horses to stop and answer a bunch of questions from the know-nothing media.
Truth be told, Tagg isn't that bad.
Besides, for this year's Kentucky Derby, he has a diamond to go with his rough.
Or at least Charles Fipke does, Fipke being the owner of Tale of Ekati, winner of the Wood Memorial back on April 5, and the Derby entrant with the second-highest total of graded stakes earnings heading into Wednesday's draw for the 134th run for the roses.
Tale of Ekati is half of a Tagg-team entry. The 70-year-old trainer, who won the Derby on his first try with Funny Cide in 2003, also has Big Truck, winner of the Tampa Bay Derby on March 15.
"I like the way they're coming along," said Tagg the other day. "If I didn't, I wouldn't be bringing them."
It is Fipke who knows about diamonds. A Canadian geologist and prospector, Fipke and his partner, Dr. Stewart Blusson, discovered the kimberlite pipes that became the Ekati Diamond Mine, which now produces over $400 million annually.
With a net worth of over $500 million, thanks in part to 10 percent ownership in the mine, Fipke jumped into the thoroughbred business in 1981. As a prospector might, his dogged determination started bearing fruit when his Perfect Soul ran in both the 2002 and '03 Breeders' Cups, finishing 8th in the '02 Turf and ninth in the '03 mile.
In 2004, Fipke arrived at the Keeneland November Sales bent on purchasing Silence Beauty, a mare by Derby winner Sunday Silence, with the intentions of breeding her to Perfect Soul. Fipke paid $525,000 for the mare, who was in foal to Tale of the Cat. A year later, J.B. McKathan, who was breaking the yearling in Ocala, told Fipke that instead of selling the offspring, he should run him.
Fipke went with the name Tale of Ekati, and shipped the runner to Tagg, who after his Funny Cide triumph ran sixth with Showing Up in 2006 and 10th with Nobiz Like Shobiz last year. Under the Tagg touch, Ekati finished second in the Sanford, won the Belmont Futurity, then ran fourth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.
His 3-year-old debut was a baffling sixth-place finish in the Louisiana Derby, won by Pyro. Undeterred, Tagg returned to New York. There, Ekati ran down War Pass to win the Wood.
Though the race's winning time was the slowest since 1952, Tagg pointed out that all the races were running slow at Aqueduct that day, and that, "Time only matters if you're in prison."
From New York, Tagg came to Keeneland, to work Ekati, and run Big Truck in the Blue Grass. The latter didn't work out so well. Big Truck ran 11th. Tagg blamed the Polytrack, which is why he shipped both horses to Churchill on Saturday.
The duo worked over the Downs track yesterday. Big Truck's time of 59 and two-fifths was the fastest of the day for the 22 horses who worked the five-furlong distance. But it's Ekati who has received the most attention.
"He's fast. And he made the cut," said Tagg on Saturday before putting his duo on the van for Louisville. "Same with the other horse. They've both won major races over their preps. They're doing well."
Tagg refers to Ekati as a "very nice horse" that appears to have a style all his own. Big Truck is "maturing. He tries hard every day. I think both of them are moving forward every day. They were both immature, but they're coming along well."
Then there is Tagg's diamond. It's been five years since the gelding Funny Cide won both the Derby and the Preakness, introducing the thoroughbred world to the yellow school bus of Sackatoga Stables and the veteran Tagg.
"I never used to get too many 3-year-olds," he said. "I've been lucky to get back a couple of times since then. But I thought (Funny Cide) had a very good chance. You need a lot of luck in the Derby, and that horse was dead-on that day and ran very, very well. He had some luck that day; he had a good trip. That's what you have to have."
This year, maybe what you have to have is a diamond.
Copyright 1996-2008 The Miami Herald Media Company
Colonel John harks back to California greats
LEXINGTON, Ky. - This year's leading Kentucky Derby candidate from California, Colonel John has done more than race impressively in the state. The bay colt has immediate ties to California breeding in his pedigree.
No discussion of the influence of California-breds on the Kentucky Derby can begin without burning incense and making a bow toward the great Swaps, the plucky Determined, and his game son Decidedly. All won the classic in Kentucky, raced with distinction in their home state, and focused national attention on the potential of California breeders to produce horses of the highest standard.
And although Colonel John is not a California-bred himself, his success in the Santa Anita Derby has shown a couple of bright spots in the state's breeding scheme, as the sire of Colonel John, Horse of the Year Tiznow, was bred in California, and broodmare sire Turkoman is in California at E.A. Ranches.
Tiznow is arguably the best state-bred racer since Swaps (and loyalists of Native Diver, Ancient Title, and Best Pal would argue the point), but there is no question that he is the best stallion of the group, since the others were geldings.
Bred by Cecilia Straub Rubens, Tiznow is by the Relaunch stallion Cee's Tizzy and is out of the Seattle Song mare Cee's Song. Cee's Tizzy, now 21, still stands at Harris Farms in Coalinga, where David McGlothlin manages the equine division.
"Tiznow is a bigger, rangier individual more like his dam, Cee's Song," McGlothlin said. "Tizbud and Tiznow are both scopier types of horses than Cee's Tizzy. But the stallion and dam complemented each other very well."
Indeed, Cee's Tizzy proved the perfect match for Cee's Song, who produced four stakes winners from her matings to the stallion (Budroyale, Tizbud, and Tizdubai), and another full sister to Tiznow, Tizso, is already the dam of a stakes winner.
Despite the fact that Cee's Tizzy is past 20, McGlothlin said, "He's going to have a good-sized book for a horse his age. He still gets the respect of California breeders, and he's still producing good horses."
In addition to Tiznow, Cee's Tizzy has sired statebred champions Gourmet Girl and Cee's Elegance, as well as the graded winners Theresa's Tizzy and Lucky J.H.
A big, rangy horse with good bone, Tiznow showed his best form at 10 furlongs, winning four Grade 1 races at the distance: the Breeders' Cup Classic twice, the Santa Anita Handicap, and the Super Derby.
His repeated high-level successes propelled Tiznow to a valuation that guaranteed he would go to stud in Kentucky, and the Breeders' Cup champion stands at WinStar, the outfit that bred and races Colonel John.
Tiznow sired champion 2-year-old filly Folklore (out of a Storm Cat mare) from his first crop of foals, and graded winner and onetime classic prospect Tiz Wonderful in his second.
A genuinely classic type of racehorse who matured a bit late for the Triple Crown, Tiznow has sired a classic candidate with high potential in Colonel John, who is from his third crop of racers.
After being placed in Grade 1 stakes at 2, Colonel John, a bay colt, won the Sham Stakes prior to the Santa Anita Derby.
In addition to the classic influence of his sire, Colonel John is out of the winner Sweet Damsel, a mare by the useful stallion Turkoman.
Turkoman is a champion older horse and a son of Alydar, who ran second in the 1978 Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont. As a stallion, Alydar became one of the most consistent classic influences, siring Kentucky Derby winners Alysheba and Strike the Gold, Derby second Easy Goer, Irish Oaks winner Alydaress, and champions like Althea, Criminal Type, and Turkoman.
Turkoman developed after the classics and came to his best form at 4, winning the Marlboro Cup and Widener Handicap at 10 furlongs, as well as finishing second in the Breeders' Cup Classic and the Jockey Club Gold Cup in 1986.
After several seasons at stud, Turkoman was moved to stand in California at E.A. Ranches in the fall of 2005, and as a proven broodmare sire, he stood there in 2006 and 2007.
"We tried to breed him earlier in the year, covering a few mares," said Marguerite Eliasson, farm manager for E.A. Ranches. "But it was obvious the time had come, and he has been pensioned. He has a nice retirement on an acre field and is very content."
In addition to Colonel John, Turkoman is also the broodmare sire of Horse of the Year Point Given, winner of the Preakness and Belmont, who stands at Three Chimneys Farm.
Colonel John has a pair of full siblings, the 2-year-old colt Mr. Hot Stuff and a yearling filly named Kayce Ace.
drf.com
Time's running out for Pletcher barn
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Just as post positions were about to be drawn on Wednesday for the 12 3-year-olds entered in the Grade 1, $750,000 Blue Grass Stakes on Saturday at Keeneland, Jack Wolf, whose Starlight Stable is a co-owner of Monba, muttered to two people sitting next to him at breakfast, "I hope we get No. 5."
After 10 horses had posts assigned, pills 5 and 11 remained, as did slips for Halo Najib and Monba. The 11-pill was drawn, concurrent with Halo Najib's slip. Monba, indeed, got 5.
"That's the longest shot of the whole meet," Wolf said, laughing.
He's hoping another longshot comes in on Saturday. Monba, along with Cowboy Cal, may represent the last chances for their trainer, Todd Pletcher, to have prominent runners in this year's Kentucky Derby. It's a startling position, being as Pletcher has set such lofty expectations. He's won four straight Eclipse Awards, and sent out a record-tying five runners in last year's Derby after winning such major preps as the Fountain of Youth Stakes, Florida Derby, Illinois Derby, and Louisiana Derby.
This year, though, the shelf has been bare.
Derby Watch Top 25 contenders
Pletcher led all trainers this year with 31 original nominees in January to the Triple Crown, including familiar names such as Atoned, Holidaze, Monba, Meal Penalty, Ready's Image, Spanky Fischbein, Talk of a Cat, Texas Wildcatter, and Why Tonto. Two more horses - Behindatthebar and Face the Cat - nominated by other trainers subsequently came to Pletcher's barn via private purchases. And one more horse - Spurrier - was nominated at the second deadline March 27, giving Pletcher 34 nominees.
Yet as the spring preps have unfolded, those horses have collectively disappointed. Cowboy Cal and Why Tonto won stakes on turf, but Pletcher has not won a 3-year-old stakes race on dirt or a synthetic surface this year.
As it stands now, Atoned is on the bubble in terms of graded stakes earnings, and both Cowboy Cal and Monba need top efforts Saturday to advance into the top 20.
"We haven't had as much success as we'd like to have in the preps," Pletcher said at Keeneland on Wednesday morning while watching his horses train. "I can't say, with the exception of Monba in the Fountain of Youth, I'm surprised. At the beginning of the year, I didn't think we had that many certain Kentucky Derby prospects. We put some in spots to find out if they'd step up, but none of them stepped up and surprised us.
"At the beginning of the year, Monba and Cowboy Cal were at the top of the class for us. And now we need them to step up and do something."
Monba won his first two starts last year, then was a fast-finishing fourth in the CashCall Futurity at Hollywood Park, in which he finished just a length behind Colonel John, who has gone on to win the Santa Anita Derby. But in his lone start this year, Monba finished last of 12 in the Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream. He suffered a nasty gash on his right rear leg after being stepped on while being bumped on the first turn. Since that race, he has had throat surgery.
Cowboy Cal was seventh in his lone start on dirt, but that was sprinting in his debut last summer at Saratoga. He then moved to turf, and won three straight races before finishing second to stablemate Why Tonto in the Hallandale Beach Stakes at Gulfstream. Pletcher views the move to Polytrack on Saturday as a good intermediate step.
"I think it makes sense, being as turf form tends to cross over to Polytrack," Pletcher said.
To his credit, Pletcher has handled questions about this year's fallow harvest with the same steady assuredness as last year, when he was plundering everything in sight. There are many in his brethren who do not possess the same emotional balance when fortunes turn against them.
"I'd love to have loads of action, but the success you have with 3-year-olds is directly related to your 2-year-old crop, and, unfortunately, we had a disappointing 2-year-old crop last year," Pletcher said. "We're trying to correct the problem and hopefully come in with a stronger crop of 2-year-olds this year. I know everybody says, 'This 2-year-old crop is the best yet.' Hopefully, by Saratoga we'll know."
Pletcher said many of his horses were nominated to the Triple Crown - the Derby, Preakness Stakes on May 17, and Belmont Stakes on June 7 - as insurance in case they developed. The deadline in January is only $600 per horse.
"We had a bunch at Gulfstream we were hoping would win and move on into stakes," he said. "We were hopeful some would step up. You don't want to be in a position to have to supplement on the Wednesday of Derby Week, and you can't get in. For $600, it's a good insurance program, especially when, for a late-developing horse, you're nominating for three races, not one."
For now, though, the Derby is still of paramount importance. Pletcher has not won the Derby, though he has finished second in it twice.
His two Blue Grass runners both drew excellent posts for the 1 1/8-mile race. Cowboy Cal landed post 3, with Cool Coal Man and Kentucky Bear to his inside. Stevil is between Cowboy Cal and Monba, then come Big Truck, Pyro, Stone Bird, Medjool, Miner's Claim, Halo Najib, and Visionaire.
Mike Battaglia of Keeneland installed Pyro as the even-money favorite. He has both Cowboy Cal and Monba at 15-1, higher even than the 1-in-12 chance Monba had of getting post 5.
In other Derby developments Wednesday:
* Horses on the bubble with graded stakes earnings will move up at least one spot because Turf War, who amassed $405,407, will pass the Derby, according to trainer Mark Casse. "We're not even thinking about it. No chance," said Casse, who said Turf War would make his next start in the ungraded Derby Trial at Churchill Downs on April 26.
* Salute the Sarge also is likely to bypass the Derby, even though he is still scheduled to race next week in the Grade 2, $325,000 Lexington Stakes at Keeneland, trainer Eric Guillot said. Salute the Sarge has $258,940 in graded earnings, so his defection would be additional good news to those on the
bubble.
* Elysium Fields is off the Derby trail and will await races in New York, trainer Barclay Tagg said. Elysium Fields had $70,000 in graded earnings from his second-place finish in the Fountain of Youth.
WHO’S HOT: The lone newcomer to the Derby Watch top 25 is Recapturetheglory, who led from gate to wire in the Illinois Derby last Saturday at Hawthorne. He is 40-1 on the Kentucky Derby future line set by Mike Watchmaker, Daily Racing Form’s national handicapper. Colonel John is now a solid third choice on Watchmaker’s line, at 5-1, following his victory in the Santa Anita Derby. He was 15-1 a week ago. Tale of Ekati, the Wood Memorial winner, also had his price cut sharply by Watchmaker, from 50-1 last week to 15-1.
WHO’S NOT: Yankee Bravo, who finished fourth in the Santa Anita Derby, was removed from the list because of his performance and the fact his graded stakes earnings may be insufficient to get him into the Derby anyway. War Pass, once Watchmaker’s favorite, floated up from 6-1 to 12-1 after finishing second in the Wood Memorial. Denis of Cork, 10-1 a week ago, is now 30-1 after finishing fifth in the Illinois Derby.
ON THE BUBBLE: Cowboy Cal once was a resident of the top 25, and he’ll be right back on the list should he run first or second in the Blue Grass Stakes on Saturday at Keeneland. Halo Najib, another Blue Grass entrant, is also knocking on the door, as is King’s Silver Son, who is scheduled to run in the Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park on Saturday.
drf.com
Best is yet to come for Curlin
HEAVY Triple Crown Series contender Don Enrico heads the six top and tested three-year-olds entered in the 2008 Philippine Racing Commission (Philracom) Diamond I Stakes at the San Lazaro Leisure Park (SLLP) in Carmona, Cavite.
The colt owned by Lorreine Uy Wi is heavily favored for the top prize of P300,000 put up by the sponsoring Philracom. The other five contenders in this race that will be disputed over the 1,600-meter distance are Euromax, Love Story, Prime Zone, Prying Eyes and Shining Fame. The runner-up picks up P112,500, while the third and fourth placers will receive P62,500 and P25,000, respectively.
Indelible Ink is reportedly sidelined by his connections after it was found out from a blood test that the colt is "stressed out." He is now at the spanking Esguerra Stable in SLLP and is expected to be back in harness just before the real war in May for the Triple Crown Series starts.
And talking about this month's Philracom-sponsored races, the 2008 Philracom Diamond II slated on April 13 at the Santa Ana Park has 14 nominated entries so far.
Another P500,000 is at stake for the top-four placers in this event that is open to all top local and imported horses, where the winner will be receiving another P300,000. The nominated horses are led by Real Spicy, while the others include Bumble Bee, Drama Belle, Fierce Fighter, great Emma, La Tienne, Manhattan, Mercurio, Midnight King, Mr. Victory, Regal Boom, Sweet Xarah, Yotedigo and Ziraz.
The 1,600-meter event also awards P112,500 to the runner-up and P62,500 and P25,000 for the third and fourth placers.
That April 13 event is a must-see for all race fans because we have reports that the Philracom and the host Philippine Racing Club are giving out prize money and trophies in all the other remaining races slated for the day. This promises to be a sizzling whole-day racing at the Santa Ana park which you should attend.
CURLIN, which bagged the Dubai World Cup on Saturday, had already come of age and is fast developing to be a super horse of the world.
That seven-and-a-half length victory over a very strong field of 11 other runners was strong proof that the four-year-old horse by Smart Strike out of a Deputy Minister mare, Sheriff's Deputy, is now the most feared in the world today.
I've followed the career of Curlin even before he entered the US Triple Crown Series last year and I even predicted in this column that he would be a great horse in the offing. Trainer Steve Asmussen really molded him into a great horse after his major victory in the Preakness Stakes. After victories in the Jockey Club's Gold Cup and the Breeders' Cup Classic last year, Sunday's Dubai World Cup was an easy picking despite the presence of a very strong field.
Another major victory this year will surely make him the all-time North American earner. He now has $8.8 million, which is barely a million-dollar plus away from the leader Cigar ($9.9 million) and Skip Away ($9.6 million).
The top rulers of Dubai should be congratulated by the whole world for coming out with such a magnificent seven-card, one-day racing extravaganza that is called the Dubai World Cup. That $6-million featured race is still considered the world's richest and every owner of the best horses in the world always wanted to enter their prized gallopers there.
On Saturday, 12 horses (yes, one was scratched and it was Happy Boy) fought it out in the major event that was sponsored by Emirates Airline. Curlin simply made mincemeat of his opponents as jockey Roby Albarado simply rode him out throughout the race.
By the way, it was the Argentinian-bred horse Asiatic Boy, owned by the al-Maktoums, which placed second followed by Well Armed in third. The other finishers included AP Arrow, Great Hunter, Lucky Find, Jalil, Gloria de Campeao, Premium Tap, Sway Yed, Kocab and Vermillion in that order.
Besides Steve Asmussen and Roby Albarado, the other participants who shared the limelight on Saturday's big event were trainer Rick Dutrow and jockey Edgar Prado, who came up with two victories each, and trainer Michael de Kock of South Africa.
De Kock saddled the South African-based mare Sun Classique to victory in the $5-million Dubai Sheema Classic, barely beating the record-winning time in the distance by only 0.05 seconds. Sun Classique, ridden by South African jockey Kevin Shea, won her third straight at Nad al-Sheba for De Kock and owners Lionel Cohen and WV Rippon. The daughter of Japan's Fuji Kiseki bumped her career earnings to more than $3.3 million with her ninth victory overall in 15 starts. Sun Classique was a Grade-1 winner last June in South Africa.
De Kock earlier won in the afternoon the $2-million UAE Derby with another Argentinian horse, Honour Devil. Another South African trainer-jockey tandem of Herman Brown and Anton Marcus won the $5-million Dubai Duty Free with Jay Peg, which reset the record in the one-and-one-eighth-mile race with a new time of 1:46.2 that eclipsed the former 1:46.48.
Trainer Rick Dutrow and jockey Edgar Prado snatched two major races - the $1-million Godolphin Mile on Diamond Stripes and the $2-million Dubai Golden Shaheen on Benny The Bull.
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Hidden gems in Lane's End
As the Derby trail winds northward into Turfway Park Saturday for the $500,000 Grade II Lane's End Stakes, the expectation will be for an unknown colt to emerge as a Kentucky Derby prospect worth a second look.
The hopefuls for this 11/8-mile race range from a graded-stakes winner (Turf War) to a maiden (El Aleman). Halo Najib, winner of a restricted stakes in Ocala, Fla., Feb. 11, was installed the 7-2 favorite in a field of 12.
Kent Desormeaux will ride Zayat Stable's Halo Najib for trainer Dale Romans.
Second choice in the morning line, at 9-2, is Cannonball, winner by a nose of a small stakes, the King Cugat, at Belmont Park last October. Owned by Ken and Sarah Ramsey, this son of Catienus will have Alex Solis riding for trainer Wesley Ward.
Halo Najib drew post No. 8 and will have Cannonball breaking to his outside.
Turf War, the only graded stakes winner in the field (dead heat in the Grade III Delta Jackpot), drew No. 11, next to Medjool, who is on the far outside.
The owner of Medjool, John O'Hara, said the outside post will suit his colt just fine.
"We love it," said O'Hara. "He's a one-pace horse, and he can't be stopped. The only time he's been in trouble was when he was down inside, so this is perfect."
While several of the Lane's End hopefuls have been running in allowance company, some others have finished behind horses who already have earned Derby credentials.
One of these is Rich Young Ruler, who raced sixth in the Risen Star behind Pyro, Z Fortune, and Visionaire. Medjool finished sixth in the California Derby behind the winner, Yankee Bravo. Macho Again ran sixth in the LeComte Stakes behind Z Fortune, Blackberry Road, and others.
How this experience will play out for these three in the Lane's End is part of the traditional appeal of this race. It's produced a future Kentucky Derby winner (Lil E. Tee), Derby runner-up and Preakness winner (Summer Squall and Prairie Bayou), a Preakness and Belmont winner (Hansel) and a future 3-year-old filly champion (Serena's Song) to name a few.
Come Saturday and the 6:49 p.m. post time for the Lane's End, horsemen and fans might be praising Turfway's synthetic surface -- if rains continue to come and go through the remainder of the week.
When Turfway had a dirt surface, the more than four inches of rain that fell on the track Tuesday and Wednesday would have compromised training -- and perhaps the race.
But after Tuesday's rains, trainer Grant Hofmans reported Wednesday that "the Polytrack looks great," after sending Halo's King out for exercise.
This will be the 37th running of the Lane's End Stakes, marquee event on a program that will include the $150,000 Grade III Bourbonette Oaks; the $100,000 Rushaway Stakes; the $50,000 Hansel Stakes and the $50,000 Queen Stakes.
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