Handicapping Tourney Returns to Red Rock
The $1-million Daily Racing Form/NTRA National Handicapping Championship will return to the Red Rock Casino, Resort and Spa in Las Vegas next year, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association said.
The 10th championship is scheduled for Jan. 23-24, 2009. The Red Rock is the official hotel of the NTRA.
"We are delighted to return the National Handicapping Championship to the beautiful Red Rock Casino, Resort and Spa," said Keith Chamblin, senior vice president of communications and industry relations for the NTRA. "Last year's event was the best NHC ever, and the enthusiasm and professionalism of the Red Rock staff was apparent throughout the competition."
"We were proud to host the first-ever million-dollar NHC this past January," said Art Manteris, vice president of race and sports operations for Station Casinos Inc. "I think the NTRA, DRF, and the 278 competitors came away with a favorable impression of our property and our highly trained staff at Red Rock, and we look forward to providing another outstanding experience next January."
The Daily Racing Form/NTRA National Handicapping Championship is the most important tournament of the year for horseplayers and is the culmination of a year-long series of NTRA-sanctioned local tournaments conducted by racetracks, casino race books, off-track betting facilities, and horse racing and handicapping Web sites, each of which sends its top three qualifiers to the national finals. This year, more than 100,000 people are expected to attempt to qualify for the 2009 contest.
Copyright (c) 2008 The Blood-Horse, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Kent Desormeaux Climbs Aboard Big Brown at Preakness
After a victory at the Kentucky Derby, jockey Kent Desormeaux will climb aboard Big Brown at Preakness Stakes.
With his victory in Saturday's Kentucky Derby aboard Big Brown, jockey Kent Desormeaux added to an already impressive resume.
The Hall of Fame rider captured racings most sought after prize for the third time.
The Louisiana native won the 1988 Derby with Real Quiet and took the 2000 edition aboard Fusaichi Pegasus.
As talented as these colts were, Desormeaux has declared his current Triple Crown mount Big Brown the most impressive horse he has ever ridden.
He has been aboard the Derby winner for three consecutive wins, including a five-length victory in the Gr. 1 Florida Derby leading up to his Kentucky Derby triumph.
The 38-year-old journeyman started his career in 1986 and won the Eclipse Award the following year as North America's most outstanding apprentice rider.
He migrated from the East Coast to California the following year and made an immediate impact on the West Coast racing scene by adding two more Eclipse Awards in 1989 and 1992.
Desormeaux now holds the distinction of being one of only three riders to win the prestigious award as an apprentice and journeyman rider.
His instant success in California inevitably led to some attitude problems and the rider's business eroded over the past several seasons.
This led to a move back East and a fresh start. His textbook rides on superstar Big Brown have brought him back to the forefront of his sport, and his abundance of natural ability is once again on display.
Desormeaux will be no stranger to Pimlico when he climbs aboard Big Brown in the Preakness, having won the 1988 edition of the race with Real Quiet and is riding with the confidence to repeat the performance.
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Sheeler Gives His Owner a Sunny Outlook
BALTIMORE -- Neil Glasser stood red-faced in the Pimlico Race Course winner's circle Thursday after his 3-year-old colt Sheeler won the $50,000 Star De Naskra Stakes, looking as if he had gotten plenty of sunshine with the rest of the festive crowd of 5,834 on opening day of the spring meet.
Mike Gathagan, the track's vice president of communications, asked trainer Dale Capuano if Sheeler might appear next in the Grade III $100,000 Hirsch Jacobs Stakes on Preakness Day, and Glasser's face lit up with excitement.
"Neil wants to run Preakness Day," Capuano said, knowing full well the sprint stakes for 3-year-olds that day will attract a far tougher bunch than showed up for the Star De Naskra. "We'll look at the Hirsch Jacobs. That's a horse of a different color."
"We've had a couple winners on Preakness Day," Glasser, of Owings Mills, said hopefully.
Glasser likely will defer to Capuano's judgment, as the trainer doesn't make many errors. Last November, when Sheeler dropped into a maiden claiming race in his third start, Capuano recommended Glasser buy him for $40,000. Five races later, Glasser has himself a stakes winner.
"When you've got the best, you do what he says," Glasser said of Capuano, whose runners are winning at a 26 percent clip this year. "When he says claim, I claim."
Sheeler was dismissed at odds of 15-1 in the Star De Naskra, a six-furlong race for state-bred 3-year-olds, but when the field of six headed for home, he came storming from behind down the middle of the track under jockey Erick Rodriguez.
Despite Rodriguez losing his whip, Sheeler beat Coheed by 1 1/2 lengths in a time of 1 minute 10.89 seconds.
"I worked him one time in the morning, and I knew he would be a good horse," Rodriguez said. Capuano "was riding [apprentice jockey Craig Gibbs on Sheeler] and he went to me. Dale had the horse ready for sprinting."
Racing Note: The Maryland Jockey Club suffered through a disastrous winter meet at Laurel Park as total wagering plummeted 24.7 percent, from $291.7 million last year to $219.8 million this year, according to figures released Thursday.
The MJC reduced the number of live racing days from five to four days a week to keep purse levels intact, but the average amount of money bet on the races at the track fell 17.8 percent, from just more than $249,000 a day to $204,000.
The export signal of Maryland races to outside sources fared no better as the average daily handle fell 20.3 percent.
"It's not unexpected, given what is going on nationally," said Maryland Jockey Club President Chris Dragone, referring to handle dips around the country. "These numbers aren't the average, they're the lower end. I'm not here to make excuses. The numbers are bad."
Dragone said the MJC would try to raise the profile of racing, dedicating $200,000 toward marketing state off-track betting sites and trying to develop ways to get more information to bettors.
"There are corporate restrictions out there," Dragone said, alluding to parent company Magna Entertainment. "We're not just the Maryland Jockey Club making decisions alone."
(c) Copyright 1996-2008 The Washington Post Company
Solid Trial run to get meet going
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The rain forecast for Saturday morning isn't the only menace to the start of the Churchill Downs spring meet. A complicated contract dispute between Churchill Downs Inc. and horsemen is playing havoc with serious horseplayers, although no one would deny that the show must go on.
In that tenuous vein, a 52-day meet that crests early with the 134th Kentucky Derby on May 3 is set to run Saturday through July 6, regardless of whether a resolution is found to a contractual stalemate centering on simulcast revenue splits and advance-deposit wagering accounts. Churchill and the Derby being what they are, more-casual racing fans frankly don't much care about such controversy, and their focus will be on the less vexing matter of on-the-track action.
The Derby Trial, that anachronistic holdover from an era when meaningful prep races were run mere days before the Derby, helps get the meet under way as the highlight of an 11-race Saturday opener.
"A race with no ramifications whatsoever," is what Norm Casse, the assistant trainer for Turf War, called the 84th running of the Trial, "but it still looks like a very good race."
Indeed, with horses such as Kodiak Kowboy and Majestic Warrior in a field of 11, the Trial has come up far better than it might have otherwise for an ungraded $100,000 race at the rarely run distance of 7 1/2 furlongs. Kodiak Kowboy, a three-time stakes winner at 2, will be trying to rebound from a fourth-place finish three weeks ago in the Lafayette Stakes at Keeneland, while Majestic Warrior, once a major Derby hope, will race in blinkers for the first time in trying to find the form that netted him the Grade 1 Hopeful last summer at Saratoga.
Other viable contenders in a deep cast include Eaton's Gift, Fujita, Macho Again, Iron Works Pike, Zulu Again, and Turf War.
Like Majestic Warrior, Turf War also won a graded race at 2 when he dead-heated for win in the $1 million Delta Jackpot, but his Derby bid fizzled with subpar efforts in the Southwest and Lane's End.
The Trial occasionally produces a starter for the Preakness three weeks later, but it now has been 50 years since a Derby winner, Tim Tam in 1958, used the race as a final prep.
The weather in Louisville has been terrific this week, with the daily high temperature around 80 and little humidity, but the forecast by The Weather Channel for opening day calls for morning showers and a high of 68.
The Trial kicks off a sensational opening week that culminates with the Kentucky Oaks on Friday and the Derby the following day. As always, many of the best horses, jockeys, and trainers in North America will be at Churchill during a time when even sports neophytes turn their attention to horse racing.
Starting Thursday, 14 more stakes will be run here through the Derby, with the Grade 1 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic, the Grade 1 Humana Distaff, and the Grade 2 Louisville Stakes being the more notable supporting events.
The post-Derby segment of the meet will be highlighted June 14 by the Grade 1 Stephen Foster Handicap, a race that possibly could attract the 2007 Horse of the Year, Curlin, who recently took up residence at Churchill.
As for the ongoing stalemate between Churchill, represented by TrackNet Media, and horsemen, represented by the Thoroughbred Horsemen's Group, the central issue is revenue derived from simulcasts and advance-deposit wagering sites such as Twinspires.com and Xpressbet. If an agreement is not reached, the possibility exists that the Churchill signal could be withheld from account-wagering operations. The simulcast rights to the Derby, Oaks, and Woodford Reserve, however, are a separate issue from other Churchill races, according to the track and horsemen's officials, and the signals for those races apparently are not imperiled.
In a related matter involving simulcast revenue, the signal from Calder Race Course, owned by Churchill, recently was blacked out at nearly all interstate betting locations and advance-deposit sites. The impasse prompted Churchill to slash purses at Calder by 30 percent, effective Sunday.
Asked for comment Thursday about how negotiations are proceeding, Churchill president Steve Sexton said, "We are working toward a resolution."
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Aqueduct Notes
The New York Racing Association's total handle on Saturday's Wood Memorial card at Aqueduct Racetrack jumped 7.4 percent from last year, to $19,096,631.54 from $17,780,231.50. The top stakes program included the Grade 1 Wood Memorial, the final major New York prep for the Kentucky Derby, which was won by Tale of Ekati in an upset of last year’s two-year-old champion, War Pass. Also on the 11-race card were the Grade 1 Carter Handicap, the Grade 3 Excelsior Handicap and the Grade 3 Bay Shore Stakes.
Trainer Barclay Tagg, fresh off his second consecutive victory in the Wood Memorial, said Tale of Ekati shipped well to Keeneland and was in outstanding shape after yesterday's win.
"He came with me last night and everything is right," said Tagg, who will now concentrate on Elysium Fields and Big Truck for this weekend's stakes offerings. "He's going into the Kentucky derby the right way. I'll probably work Elysium Fields and Big Truck on Tuesday. I'm still not sure if I am going to run both of them here in the Blue Grass or run one here and one in the Arkansas Derby (at Oaklawn Park).
"I will say this: I wouldn't trade my three for any others going into the Derby."
Tagg said that he was more impressed by Tale of Ekati's race as he reviewed the Wood Memorial later on.
"That other horse (Inner Light) maybe softened up War Pass, but he didn't soften him up for long," Tagg laughed. "War Pass hung in there very tough, and he was the horse I thought we had to beat. But Tale of Ekati was up close to that pace; he was a lot closer than I wanted him to be, that's for sure.
"But it all worked out. We knew he was a much better horse than he showed in Louisiana and he proved that in the Wood Memorial."
Tagg won the Wood Memorial in 2007 with Nobiz Like Shobiz. In 2003, Tagg trained Funny Cide, who was beaten a half-length in the Wood Memorial by Empire Maker. Funny Cide came back to win the Kentucky Derby and Preakness.
Nothing has come easy to the New York-bred Bustin Stones.
Off the track, the colt has had to stage multiple comebacks after undergoing knee surgery. And on track, Bustin Stones has always been the target, the speed horse that never gets a breather, never gets anything his way from start to finish.
Yet, despite the adversity and stress-filled trips, Bustin Stones has remained perfect, winning all six starts. Yesterday, he became a Grade 1 winner with a typical, hard-fought half-length score over Executive Fleet in the $300,000 Carter Handicap at seven furlongs.
Now, Bustin Stones will be pointed to Belmont Park's Grade 1, $600,000 Metropolitan Handicap on May 26th. The "Met Mile" is New York's traditional Memorial Day feature.
"It's not going to be an easy spot, but we've got to look at the Met Mile with him," said trainer Bruce Levine, who also won Saturday's Excelsior here with Temporary Saint.
Over the years, Levine has become one of the East Coast's more respected trainers. In fact, he finished the recently concluded winter meet here at Aqueduct second in the standings with 52 wins from 206 starters. The Carter, however, was the first Grade 1 win of Levine's 29-year career. Moreover, Levine won it with a homebred of his longtime client and close friend, Roddy Valente.
"You couldn't write the script any better," Levine said.
As for Bustin Stones, he appears to have exited the Carter no worse for the wear.
"He looked good this morning," Levine said. "He didn't look tired or knocked out."
As for the much-improved Temporary Saint, a high-priced claim by owner Maggi Moss a few months ago, Levine says he would like to keep the horse racing around two turns. The Pimlico Special on May 16th could be the likeliest spot.
"I think his style fits that track pretty good," Levine said. "He was training great, but I thought the race yesterday was pretty tough. He showed us a lot winning it."
Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito said that two-year-old champion War Pass exited his runner-up finish in Saturday's Wood Memorial in good order and is on his way to Kentucky. The Robert LaPenta-owned colt set a pressured pace through fast fractions of :22 2/5 and :46 for the nine-furlong race over a "fast" but drying out track. He yielded late to Tale of Ekati and finished one-half length behind.
"It was the only big race that I finished second in that I appreciated it as a win," Zito said. "He ran as tough as he could and showed what kind of horse he is, especially the way the race shaped up."
The type of race War Pass ran in the Wood Memorial was exactly what he needed to get him ready for the Kentucky Derby May 3rd.
"Obviously this sets him up great for the Derby," said Zito. "He got nothing out of his race in Tampa, so he needed this."
After being bumped at the start of the Tampa Bay Derby, War Pass faded to last in the stretch.
"I really wanted to win another Wood Memorial," said Zito, who already has three victories in the Wood. "It's a special race because I grew up in New York near Aqueduct. Usually you get a break on big days with the track not being as heavy as it was yesterday, but that's not an excuse."
NYRA will begin taking wagers on Keeneland's Super High Five wager starting Wednesday, April 9.
The Super High Five requires picking the first five finishers, in order, on the final race each day. If there are no winners, the pool carries over to the next day's race card. The minimum wager is $1.
Patrons may wager on the Keeneland's Super High Five on track at teller windows and self-service terminals (initially, self-service terminals will display the wager as a "pentafecta") NYRA Rewards members have the added option of placing Super High Five bets by phone through the Telebet live-operator option. At this time, Super High Five wagering will not be available through NYRA Rewards Internet Wagering or the Telebet touchtone or voice-recognition options.
Eight betting interests must be carded for a race to offer the Super High Five, but the bet still would be offered if the field scratched down to seven betting interests.
The Santa Anita Super High Five will be offered beginning Thursday, April 10.
Saturday's feature race will be the 59th running of the Grade 2, $150,000 Comely for three-year-old fillies at a mile.
Likely here are Goldmark Farm’s Elusive Lady; Gold Square's Lady Chace, Darlene Bilinsko's Love Co, Dennis Narlinger's Ready for Fortune, Morris Bailey's Saki to Me and Susan Moore and M and M Thoroughbred Partners' Zaftig.
Winner of Aqueduct's Grade 3 Tempted last fall, Elusive Lady was runner-up here in the Grade 2 Demoiselle on November 24. She then suffered her worst defeat when she was steadied early in the Grade 2 Old Hat at Gulfstream Park. She came back to be second in the Grade 3 Florida Oaks at Tampa Bay Downs last month.
Ready for Fortune was second in the Grade 3 Cicada on the inner track on March 15 for trainer Gary Contessa. Edward L. Shapoff's Weathered is listed as questionable. The New York-bred Key Contender filly has won three of four career starts.
Copyright (c) 2008 Yahoo! All rights reserved.
Will the Derby be a replay of the BC Juvenile?
Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - War Pass and Pyro ran one-two in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile last year at Monmouth Park, after finishing in that same exact order in the Champagne at Belmont three weeks earlier.
So far in 2008, the two top-rated three-year-olds have combined for three victories in three starts, and unless another horse puts forth dominating back-to-back performances over the next five weeks, it clearly looks as if the Kentucky Derby will be a two-horse event.
In fact, the closing odds for Pool 2 confirmed that the public is clearly all over these two exciting three-year-olds. Pyro is now favored at 4-1 while War Pass, who defeated Pyro three straight times last year, is second choice at 9-2. The field, which closed as the favorite in the first future wager, now stands at 6-1.
Pyro unleashed another mammoth stretch drive this past Saturday, winning the Louisiana Derby by three lengths over My Pal Charlie. The son of Pulpit ran his final 2- furlongs in 30 2/5, nowhere near the unbelievable 28 2/5 he scorched home in his Risen Star victory, but extremely solid nonetheless. On the other hand, his final time of 1:44 2/5 was 2/5ths slower than the fillies ran just one race earlier in the Fair Grounds Oaks.
Despite the relatively slow race, Pyro received a 95 Beyer number, up five points from his win in the Risen Star. More impressive than his final time or length of victory was his positioning during the race. Shaun Bridgmohan had him forwardly placed, never worse than fifth, throughout the entire running of the LA Derby, a style that will surely help him as he continues to prepare for the big one in Kentucky.
The one difference in his two 2008 victories was his closeness to the pace. In the Derby, he was fourth at the quarter pole, compared to 10th after two furlongs in the Risen Star. Still, his first-quarter times in both races were not that far off: 24 4/5 in the LA Derby and 25 1/5 in his prior win. He just looked visually faster in his last race since he was much closer to the front- runners.
The big dissimilarity came in the next half-mile, when he pulled off a 49 1/5 four furlongs as opposed to the 51 1/5 he ran last month. That was what placed him in much better position this past Saturday. (For those not attuned to how the fractions work - one-length equals 1/5 of a second.)
One huge hurdle was left to overcome as the field approached the top of the stretch. Pyro was still a few lengths behind the early pacesetters: My Pal Charlie and J Be K, when the latter began to bear in, leaving little room for Pyro to make his patented stretch drive. However, the lightly raced J Be K, who was obviously laboring in the lane, bore out just enough to give Bridgmohan a seam to burst his charge through. Once that happened, you could have turned your sets off right there, because no one was going to out-finish the three-year-old king of Louisiana.
The only thing fans of this horse have to worry about is his penchant for getting caught in tight quarters around the far turn. In both of his three- year-old victories, Pyro's jockey has insisted on keeping him as close to the rail as possible.
Take a look at the replay of the LA Derby and you'll notice what I'm talking about. Instead of blowing past Blackberry Road to engage My Pal Charlie and J Be K three-wide, Bridgmohan decided to sit the rail, allowing Blackberry Road, and then Majestic Warrior, to pass him on his outside. All of a sudden, Pyro was shuffled back to fifth and blocked with no hole to squeeze through.
As previously mentioned, J Be K's inexperience allowed Pyro to bust through an opening, but if Bridgmohan continues to ride him this way, especially in a race such as the Kentucky Derby where the fields don't get any bulkier, it might be asking too much for Pyro to walk off with the "Roses" especially as the first or second choice in the betting.
Trainer Steve Asmussen has one more race to get him ready for Churchill and that will come on April 12 over at Keeneland in the Blue Grass Stakes. It's still too early to tell what his competition will be that afternoon, as there are a host of races for trainers to choose from in the month of April, but one thing's for sure, no horse from Louisiana should be able to out-finish him in Kentucky.
Among those that ran in the LA Derby, Yankee Bravo looked the most impressive despite his greenness through the stretch. Still the previously undefeated charge ended up a decent third and may get his share of support next time out. On the downside, he has never broken out of the gate in a timely fashion, a trait that does not scream "Kentucky Derby winner."
As mentioned earlier, Majestic Warrior looked like he was about to run off and hide around the far turn, but he obviously needed the race after finishing a well-beaten seventh. This was his first start since disappointing as the even money favorite vs. War Pass and Pyro in last year's Champagne, and as things stand today, it's doubtful he'll be ready to tackle those two in eight weeks.
Tale of Ekati, who was also making his first appearance this year, was bumped coming out of the gate and was a non-factor the rest of the way. Improvement is expected but he may need more than one race to challenge for the blanket of roses.
PYRO FLATTERED BY GOTHAM RESULTS
When Visionaire was entered in the Risen Star off back-to-back victories, he was made the 5-1 third choice behind Pyro and Z Fortune. The son of Grand Slam enjoyed a ground saving trip and ended up third in an extremely chalky trifecta.
Michael Matz had a plethora of choices for Visionaire's next race - the Louisiana Derby, the Rebel at Oaklawn to be run this Saturday, or the Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct. He decided to go to New York and it turned out to be the right move. The lone horse in the field to have raced in a two-turn graded event drew the extreme outside post (10) in a race diluted to the naked eye by the immense fog that hovered over Ozone Park all afternoon.
Visionaire had trailed through much of the early going unable to handle the sloppy track, but as the race continued, it seemed only one horse, Texas Wildcatter, was capable of gripping the wet surface, sailing through the stretch virtually alone. That is, until Visionaire emerged from the fog, eating up the slop with each powerful stride, nailing his opponent just as the two hit the wire.
Those who backed Matz's finest three-year-old since Barbaro were awarded with a decent price of $11 to win. One might imagine his next appearance will be in New York, where he'll most likely meet the top three-year-old in the land in War Pass.
THIS WEEK'S PREPS
War Pass still has one more prep race to run before the Wood Memorial and it comes this Saturday in the Tampa Bay Derby. It's doubtful there will be any top horses challenging him, save for Dogwood Stables, Atoned.
The Todd Pletcher-trained three-year-old will be making his 2008 debut after finishing second to Court Vision in the Remsen last November. Atoned stumbled badly approaching the backstretch that day, but remarkably was able to lead the field through the lane until Court Vision ran him down in the final few jumps. The son of Repent has reportedly put on a ton of muscle since December, and is training forwardly for his return.
Denis of Cork puts his unbeaten mark on the line in the Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park after a solid showing in the Southwest in mid-February. The bay colt has closed very effectively in all three of his victories, including a win over the Churchill Downs surface in his maiden win.
The bulk of the expected field will be horses "Cork" abused in the Southwest, save for one Steve Asmussen colt named Z Fortune. The son of Siphon was undefeated before running into Pyro in the Risen Star, but he didn't disgrace himself one bit by finishing a bang-up second.
Even though post positions have yet to be drawn, the way the public has jumped all over Denis of Cork (12-1 in Pool 2 down from 46-1 last month) it looks as if he'll be the bettor's choice. The pick here, though, is Z Fortune to hold off the late charge of the expected favorite.
The final major race comes from the west coast, where a bunch of sprinters will vie for bigger and better things in the 1 1/16 San Felipe at Santa Anita. Georgie Boy, winner of the San Vicente tackles Bob Black Jack, who aired in the Sunshine Millions Dash and Gayego, winner of the San Pedro.
Georgie Boy is the lone entrant of the three that is actually bred to run more than a flat mile, so look for him to gain the victory and then challenge Colonel John and El Gato Malo in the Santa Anita Derby.
THE TOP 10 LIST WITH FINAL POOL 2 ODDS
After weeks of being on Court Vision's bandwagon, I am ready to concede the top two spots to War Pass and Pyro. That is not to say I have lost my "vision," it's just that he has a lot of ground to make up on the top two and I don't know if he'll be able to do so with just one more race before the Derby. Heading into mid-March, here is how the top 10 looks:
1) War Pass, 9-2; 2) Pyro, 4-1; 3) Court Vision, 16-1; 4) Colonel John, 17-1; 5) Tomcito, 6-1 - field; 6) Z Fortune, 33-1; 7) Denis of Cork, 12-1; 8) Visionaire, 19-1; 9) El Gato Malo, 15-1; 10-T) Fierce Wind and Big Brown, both 6-1 in the field.
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War Pass - Can he carry his speed to glory?
Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - There's a big difference between being undefeated in March and winning the Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday in May, but War Pass has an outstanding chance to join the likes of Seattle Slew, Smarty Jones and Barbaro as the lone unbeaten Derby winners since 1970.
The two-year-old Eclipse Award winner opened his three-year-old campaign back on February 24 with a smashing victory in an allowance race at Gulfstream Park. The Nick Zito-trained colt finished the flat mile in 1:36 1/5 hitting the wire 7 -lengths in front of his four overmatched rivals. Much has been made about the clockings that day, as the final and fractional times of almost all the races, even the Fountain of Youth, have been revamped more times than imaginable. Given that, some have argued that War Pass ran a full second faster, which if true, would make the allowance win even more impressive.
Perhaps the most imposing aspect of the victory was his ability to rate in the early going. This was the first race in his career that he was able to lead the field after a first quarter in over 23 seconds and a half over 46. His lack of competition had a lot to do with the fact not one horse challenged him early, but it's hard to argue with the ease of his gait and the calmness of the ride by Cornelio Velasquez.
War Pass has yet to race past 1 1/16, but his first nine-panel affair will come on March 15 in the Tampa Bay Derby. The rest of those expected to challenge him would not put fear into those betting on the two-year-old champion, so in essence, it will be another "workout" against inferior competition.
It's doubtful another horse will outrun him to the front in Tampa, unless Zito wants Velasquez to rate him in order to preserve some of his speed for longer distances, which the trainer has given zero indication will be the case. Even though it's early in the month of March, there are boatloads of questions regarding his stamina, which is the only thing holding him back from going off even money in the Kentucky Derby. Still, he is the lone three-year-old to have shown any glimpse of greatness, and it's that presence that has him sitting pretty, perched high atop the rest of his competition.
NOT MUCH BEHIND HIM
Suffice it to say, we won't know how War Pass will handle the 1 1/8 distance until his final two prep races, but for now he looks to be far and away the top contender in a year full of unpolished three-year-olds. Court Vision, this columnist's top choice, failed in his 2008 debut in the Fountain of Youth finishing third, while post-time favorite Monba was absolutely pitiful, coming home 12th and last. The winner, Cool Coal Man, a stablemate of War Pass, benefited from a perfect trip and will likely be an overbet favorite in the Florida Derby at the end of March.
For those still left on Court Vision's bandwagon, don't throw in the towel just yet. His first race this year was merely a tune-up for bigger and better things. In the Fountain of Youth, he nestled himself in last place, 12 lengths off the pace at the half, and was even further back at the three-quarter pole, before rallying for third, beaten 6 -lengths. All in all, not a terrible way to begin the year, but a more hardened workout regimen must be adhered to in order to revamp some of his lackadaisical habits.
One possible longshot to keep an eye on in the future is Halo Najib. The second-place finisher to Court Vision in last year's Iroquois made an impressive middle move only to flatten out in the final furlong to finish sixth in the FOY, and could be overlooked in his next start.
It is very interesting to compare most of the experts' top 10s prior to President's Day weekend to their current rankings. Horses that were barely getting mentioned almost one month ago are now in most handicappers' top five. Cool Coal Man and Denis of Cork are two who immediately come to mind. It seems that all a horse has to do to move up the list is to record a victory in a prep race. If one doesn't think this is true, just take a look at where Colonel John, Cool Coal Man and Denis of Cork are, and you'll see what I'm talking about. Don't be shocked if at least two of these horses fail to win their next start.
Another reason these horses are constantly moving up? A genuine lack of quality underneath. It's been a rarity this year for a horse to distinguish himself with a decent second- or third-place finish, the exception being El Gato Malo's placing in the Sham Stakes behind Colonel John this past weekend. And even he has a host of question marks having never run on a dirt track, as well as being poorly bred for the 10 panels on the first Saturday in May. And for the record, both Colonel John and El Gato Malo received Beyer numbers in the mid-80s for that race.
THIS WEEK'S PREPS
The Louisiana Derby highlights this Saturday's action, and it's shaping up as the most important race of the season. Pyro will try to duplicate his victory in the Risen Star when he squares off against eight others, including Majestic Warrior, Tale of Ekati and J Be K.
Everyone is well aware by now of Pyro's dominating performance in early February, but this field is 10 times better than the one he faced in the Risen Star. However, his two most acclaimed rivals, Majestic Warrior and Tale of Ekati, will be making their 2008 debuts, a tough spot for any horse coming off a long layoff. The former impressed many with his fast closing finish in last year's Hopeful Stakes, while the latter took home the Futurity at Belmont last September. Still, they both have not raced since October, and War Pass and Pyro easily smashed them in the two most important two-year-old races: the Champagne and Breeders' Cup Juvenile.
J Be K is an interesting horse and one to definitely keep an eye on. The lightly-raced colt is two-for-two with his last victory coming by five lengths in an allowance race over this course on February 15. He has yet to race in anything other than a sprint and will be giving a lot away in terms of experience, but there's not much speed in the race so don't be surprised if he steals it on the front end or at least holds second to Pyro.
The other prep race this Saturday comes from New York, where Giant Moon and Visionaire do battle with eight others. Giant Moon is undefeated with four consecutive victories, but this will be his first race in two months. Visionaire was last seen finishing third to Pyro in the Risen Star and could knock off the "Giant" if he improves off that effort. Don't forget Visionaire got the best of Elysium Fields, the Fountain of Youth runner-up, in his maiden win in November of 2007.
TOP10 DERBY PROSPECTS
Pool 2 wagering begins this Thursday so get your wallets ready. Here is this week's top 10 list followed by Pool 1 closing odds:
1) Court Vision, 15-1; 2) War Pass, 6-1; 3) Pyro, 5-1; 4) Colonel John, 19-1; 5) Tomcito, 3-1 (field); 6) Denis of Cork, 46-1; 7) El Gato Malo, 16-1; 8) Atoned, 3-1 (field); 9) Fierce Wind, 3-1 (field); 10-T) Giant Moon, 51-1, and Big Truck, 3-1 (field).
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