3.23.2002	Photo By: Jim Linscott
		Team Valor Stable's Windward Passage (above, white bridle) bested Southern California invader Ocean Sound (Ire) by one length on the wire in the Rebel Stakes (GIII) at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark. on Mar. 23. The Team Valor homebred will now point for the Arkansas Derby (GII), which will be contested at Oaklawn on Apr. 13.

Six Take Another Step Along Road To Visa Triple Crown

At least six potential runners for the 128th Kentucky Derby took another step along the trail to the Visa Triple Crown and $5 million Visa Triple Crown Challenge as the past weekend’s action ranged from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates to Kentucky and Arkansas.

Starting in the east, ESSENCE OF DUBAI captured the UAE Derby (Gr. II) at Nad al Sheba in Dubai to give Godolphin Racing its fourth straight chance at the mile-and-a-quarter classic at Churchill Downs on May 4. In Kentucky, two-time bridesmaid PERFECT DRIFT got the perfect ride from Hall of Fame jockey Eddie Delahoussaye to win the Grade II Lane’s End Spiral Stakes at Turfway Park, and in Arkansas, WINDWARD PASSAGE ran down pacesetter Ocean Sound to grab the Grade III Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park.

Expected to double Godolphin’s pleasure in the Kentucky Derby, the first jewel in the Visa Triple Crown of racing, will be the possible appearance of IBN AL HAITHAM as a stablemate for ESSENCE OF DUBAI. The former, making his first start of his 3-year-old season after being troubled by a skin rash, finished third in the UAE Derby, encouraging Dubai’s ruling Maktoum family’s Godolphin Racing to look ahead to the Kentucky Derby for that colt, also. Neither is expected to have another prep before May 4.

The Godolphin duo will automatically go into the Derby with a distance edge, since the UAE Derby is run at 1 1/4 mile distance of the Kentucky Derby and the rest of the field at Churchill Downs on May 4 will not have covered that distance. The UAE Derby winner clocked the distance in 2:02.90 for trainer Saeed bin Suroor.

After being bedeviled twice at Turfway Park by REQUEST FOR PATROL, owned by Sam and Jeri Knighton and trained by Stephen Margolis, Dr. William Reed’s PERFECT DRIFT, trained by Murray Johnson, finally turned the tables on his tormentor as Delahoussaye guided him down the stretch to score a half-length victory in the Spiral. In fact, Request For Parole finished third, beaten by a nose nod by AZILLION (Ire), a shipper from California owned by Cohen, Scibelli and Ulmer and trained by Bob Hess, Jr.

After the race, Johnson said he wasn’t sure whether his winning son of Cherokee Run would race in another prep or head straight into the Derby. On the hand, it appears another prep probably is in order for both the runner-up and the third-place finisher. The time for 1 1/8-Spiral was a solid 1:48.83, just a hair slower than HARLAN’S HOLIDAY’s Florida Derby.

The biggest disappointment in the race was SARATOGA BLUES, who contested the early pace with Request For Parole, but faded in the later stages to finish last.

Looking at another prep – most likely the April 13 Arkansas Derby (GII) –– are Team Valor’s Rebel winner, WINDWARD PASSAGE, trained by Steve Asmussen, and runner-up Ocean Sound, owned by Jim Ford, D. Pearson and K M Stable and trained by Southern California-based James Cassidy, who brought Jamaican Rum east last year to finish second in the Arkansas Derby and sixth in the Kentucky Derby. The time for the 1 1/16 miles of the Rebel was a pedestrian 1:45.06.

On the Turfway undercard, another promising 3-year-old – MR. MELLON — probably earned himself another step along the Visa Triple Crown trail by capturing the 1 1/16-mile Rushaway Stakes. Finishing second to the Elliott Walden-trained winner for WinStar Farm was Wild Horses, owned by Peachtree Stable and trained by Todd Pletcher. Both figure to be pointed toward another prep. The time for the Rushaway was 1:42.80.

Top Prospects Set For Final Rush At Visa Triple Crown Glory

It’s just six weeks before some of the classiest 3-year-olds in the Thoroughbred world step onto the hallowed racing surface at Churchill Downs to be tested for speed and durability as the clarion call for the 128th Kentucky Derby is sounded.

Between now and then there will be at least eight moments of truth as most of the leading prospects for Visa Triple Crown fame sharpen their racing skills to the finest edge possible in preparation for the run of their lives at 1 mile and 1 quarter in the world’s greatest race.

The list of possible runners in those preps reads like a who’s who of top 3-year-olds in the country. Here’s the way those final, big preps figure to shape up:

Santa Anita Derby (Saturday, April 6, Santa Anita Park) –– CAME HOME, Easy Grades, FONZ’S, Danthebluegrassman, TRACEMARK, U S S Tinosa, YOUGOTTAWANNA, and maybe Sunday Break.

Illinois Derby (Saturday, April 6, Sportsman’s Park) —- Louisiana Derby winner REPENT appears to be the kingpin here.

Aventura Stakes (Saturday, April 6, Gulfstream Park) –– Tampa Bay Derby winner EQUALITY will show up for this one.

Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (Saturday, April 13, Keeneland) —- Florida Derby winner HARLAN’S HOLIDAY will head this field and will be joined by BOOKLET and EASYFROMTHEGITGO. SIPHONIC originally was a top prospect for this spot, but when it was found he had an ankle problem, he was taken off the Visa Triple Crown trail.

Wood Memorial Stakes (Saturday, April 13, Aqueduct) —- The past two Kentucky Derby winners –– Fusaichi Pegasus and Monarchos – have used the Wood as the final steppingstone to the big win, so several will be trying to emulate that, including Gotham Stakes winner and runner-up MAYAKOVSKY and SAARLAND, as well as San Felipe winner Medaglia d’Oro, who figures to be a late nominee by the upcoming Saturday deadline; BLUE BURNER, and maybe Sunday Break.

Arkansas Derby (Saturday, April 13, Oaklawn Park) —- This one will feature Private Emblem, and the aforementioned 1-2 finishers in the Rebel, as well as Buddha, who’s expected to be a late nominee by Saturday. The Coolmore Lexington Stakes at Keeneland and the Federico Tesio Stakes at Pimlico will be contested on April 20 and could bring a horse or two into the Derby, but prospective fields are far from even being prospective.

One other prep race could generate a Derby runner. That would be a one mile allowance race at Lingfield, in which Breeders’ Juvenile (GI) and Eclipse Award winner JOHANNESBURG is expected to make his 3-year-old debut. A victory there likely will send him to Kentucky.

It's Late Nomination Time –– Saturday at midnight marks the deadline for late nominations to the Visa Triple Crown and Visa Triple Crown Challenge, which offers $5 million to the owner of any horse that can sweep the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes. The nomination fee is $6,000. The early nomination deadline, when the nomination fee was $600, was January 19.

Note: all caps = Visa Triple Crown Nominee

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