RUN DOWN TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY

War Pass looks like a winner of the far turn in the Wood Memorial

Brian Esola/Sue K Photo

Well you know it’s spring when Derby fever is in the air.  It's three weeks until the first Saturday in May, until the most exciting two minutes in sports. Over the last several weeks, many derby hopefuls and wanna-be’s have been running in their final prep races. Some have been impressive and some have been dud’s, and a few have been a surprise.

Two weeks ago the Florida Derby, 5 weeks out from the first Saturday in May, was won by a lightly raced colt named Big Brown.  The horse with the uninspired name ran an inspirational race by running away from the field that included some decent horses, in a good time of 1:48.1 for the 1 1/8 mile.  He is the likely favorite for the Derby, but the derby will be his 4th start. He’ll be facing 19 other horses, in which he’ll be bumped and jostled at the start of a cavalry charge to the first turn.  I think he may be good enough to run a decent race, but I don’t believe he has the experience to win - just remember Curlin last year, his talent and class managed to get him 3rd in the race.  I’d look for Big Brown to have more favorable conditions in the Preakness.

Last week, on Saturday, April 5th, were three prep races.  The Wood Memorial was run at Aqueduct on a beautiful sunny day.  This is where War Pass was to redeem himself after his last placed finish in the Tampa Bay Derby. He faced probably one of the better prep race fields, and was the favorite.  War Pass broke in fine fashion and went to the lead, which is where he likes to be, being pressed by the rabbit Inner Light, who was part of the entry with Court Vision.  The early fractions were fast for the early part of the race, running 22.2 and 46 flat, as Inner Light dropped back, War pass looked like a winner off the far turn.  But Tale of Ekati was stalking the pace, and caught a tired but game War Pass at the wire, winning by a half length as they staggered home to finish in 1:52.2 . 

I actually was quite surprised that it was Tale of Ekati who won - I thought maybe War Pass would hold on, or that perhaps Court Vision, Texas Wildcatter or even Giant Moon would take the day.  But War Pass and Tale of Ekati were clearly the best of the rest, and are moving on to Louisville.

The Illinois Derby was run at Hawthorne outside of Chicago, in which big things were expected from Denis of Cork and Atoned.  Well, both disappointed finishing 5th and 4th, respectively, and both were soundly beaten by 15-1 long shot Recapturetheglory (who?), where the top three finishers went around 1-2-3 like a conveyor belt.  This was probably the least impressive of the prep races.

The Santa Anita Derby was won by Colonel John, who has showed an explosive turn of foot in his races, and is very impressive as he dug in to catch Bob Black Jack at the wire.  I would be all over Colonel John as one of my derby favorites but for one thing.  He has only run over synthetic surfaces, and will be running for the first time on the dirt in the derby.  And while synthetic surfaces have a nice bounce to them, the dirt of Churchill is deep and tiring.  And I have my doubts about picking a horse who is running on dirt for the first time in the biggest race in America.

This past Saturday a California hopeful decided to try dirt for the first time. Trainer Paulo Lobo decided to try Gayego on the dirt for his final prep in the Arkansas Derby, to see if he actually like it.  He did. He beat a full field of 12 runners, including Z Humor, to earn his spot in the Derby Field.  I don’t think he’ll win, but he’s a versatile enough horse to use under in exotic bets.  We'll have to wait and see if Colonel John fares as well.

Don’t have much to say about the Holy Bull Stakes, which was run on it’s new date on the Gulfstream calendar.  Gulfstream used to have the Holy Bull run the same day as the Donn, in late January.  It was the race that Barbaro used as a springboard for his first dirt start winning this on his way to winning the Fountain  of Youth, Florida Derby and the Kentucky Derby. Now it’s being used as anther Derby prep.  And this year was won by Hey Byrn, named after owner Beatrice Oxenberg’s late husband Bernie.  In Hey Byrne’s last start, two weeks ago in the Florida Derby, he could do no better than 4th, 15 lengths behind Big Brown.  He is the least impressive of the prep winners, beating a bunch of allowance horses and maiden winners. 

Remember last year, when polytrack specialist Dominican beat the eventual Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense?  Remember where Dominican finished in the Derby?  Remember Dominican at all?
I’m kind’ a glad Pyro ran in a stinker - means I’ll get better odds when he runs in the Derby, which is run on the dirt, which Pyro actually runs pretty good on. 

He’s still my Derby horse