Repent, Bailey Partnership Off To An Eventful Start
By John Asher

Kentucky Derby Headlines:

• Repent, Bailey Survive In Louisiana
• Yougottawanna Beats Baffert Again
• You, Take Charge Lady Win Oaks Preps

MIDWEST (Kentucky, Illinois, Louisiana, Arkansas) -- The partnership between Select Stable's Repent and new jockey Jerry Bailey got off to a rougher than expected start in Sunday's $750,000 Louisiana Derby (Grade II) at the Fair Grounds -- but the major contender for Kentucky Derby 128 found his way to the winner's circle.

Repent survived an adventurous run through the stretch and a duel with Easyfromthegitgo to do so. The odds-on favorite at 2-5, Repent outlasted Easyfromthegitgo, a rival he had easily defeated last month in the Risen Star (GIII) on the same track. The Ken McPeek-trained colt covered the 1 1/16-mile distance in 1:43.86 on a "fast" track.

"I thought I won, but it was obviously very close," said Bailey, who rode Repent for the first time since he was selected by McPeek to replace Kentucky-based veteran Tony D'Amico as the colt's jockey.

"I looked at Jerry and he looked at me and we didn't know," said jockey Donnie Meche, who was aboard the runner-up for trainer Steve Asmussen. "I thought I won."

It'sallinthechase finished third, 2 3/4-lengths behind the top pair, and was followed across the finish line by Charioteer, Bob's Image, White Flame and Publication. French Assault was a late scratch.

Repent established a ground-saving early position behind Charioteer and Bob's Image as that duo set a modest pace. Bailey swung Repent wide for the stretch run as Meche and Easyfromthegitgo rallied on the rail. Repent prevailed although he drifted inward in the final yards as Bailey tried to coax his colt to change his lead leg.

"It took me to the eighth pole to make him switch leads," Bailey said. "He needs to learn the right lead down the lane because a left lead at Churchill Downs will not cut it. Hopefully, he learns this real soon."

Repent improved his career record to 5-1-1 in seven races and raised his earnings to $955,660.

The Louisiana Derby victory completed another great weekend at the Fair Grounds for Select Stable and McPeek, who won the Fair Grounds Oaks (GII) on Saturday with Take Charge Lady. It was the second Louisiana Derby win for Bailey, who also won in 1996 on Overbrook Farm's Grindstone. That colt was the last of only two horses to win the Louisiana Derby and Kentucky Derby in the same year.

WEST (California) -- Two-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Bob Baffert has seen his horses take the measure of many talented rivals in his rise to the top of Thoroughbred racing, but chances are he will be happy if he does not have to face the California-bred Yougottawanna anytime soon.

The Jerry Hollendorfer-trained son of Candi's Gold burst onto the national racing scene last fall when he upset Baffert's highly regarded Officer in the California Cup Juvenile. On Saturday, Yougottawanna did it again as he wore down Mike Pegram's Danthebluegrassman, the Baffert-trained favorite, to win the $200,000 El Camino Real Derby (GIII) at Golden Gate Fields.

Yougottawanna, owned by Halo Farms and Sid and Jenny Craig, rallied from eighth under jockey Jason Lumpkins to defeat Danthebluegrassman by three-quarters of a length. Lusty Latin was two lengths back in third. The Hollendorfer-trained Cappuchino, the second wagering choice, finished eighth.

The winner covered the 1 1/16-mile distance in 1:43.48 on a "fast" track.

The winner may have benefitted from some bad luck on the part of David Flores, the rider of the runner-up who dropped his whip in upper stretch. Flores then whipped off his goggles for use as an impromptu whip as he tried in vain to hold off the late running Yougottawanna in the final yards.

The bad fortune for Flores may have been some overdue good luck for Hollendorfer, the king of Northern California trainers who has encountered nothing but frustration in his efforts to compete in the Kentucky Derby. He has yet to start a horse in America's greatest race, although he traveled to Churchill Downs with major contenders Event Of The Year in 1998 and Globalize in 2000. Both horses were injured just before the race.

"He's in there," Hollendorfer told the San Francisco Chronicle. "He beat a good colt in Danthebluegrassman. There's only one more big race before the Derby."

Hollendorfer indicated that his gelding's next start would come either in the Santa Anita Derby (GI) on April 6 or the Toyota Blue Grass (GI) at Keeneland on April 13.

Baffert said Sunday morning the Danthebluegrassman had come out of the race in good shape and would be pointed to the Santa Anita Derby. He said the loss of the whip was probably a factor in the colt's defeat.

"They were running on a hot pace and my horse is pretty lazy," said Baffert. "Having the whip to urge him on when it counted would have made a big difference."

Yougottawanna improved his career record to 4-3-1 in 10 races.

SOUTHEAST (Florida) -- Canadian star Changeintheweather scored his first victory of the year as he rallied to win a 1 1/16-mile allowance race on Saturday at Gulfstream Park.

Pin Oak Stable's son of Gone West rallied in deep stretch to defeat Susie's Poker by a head. Favored American Style finished fifth. Changeintheweather, trained by David Bell and ridden by jockey Jorge Chavez, is now 3-0-1 in five races and covered the distance in 1:45.48 on a "fast" track.

EAST (New York, Maryland) -- Trainer Tony Dutrow believes he has a good horse in Alvin Akman's Saratoga Blues, the unbeaten winner of the Whirlaway at Aqueduct, and he is anxious to see what Sunday's 50th running of the Gotham (GIII) at the New York track will tell him about the colt's quality.

Saratoga Blues will face major stakes winners Saarland and Mayakovsky in the one-mile race.

"It's time to find out how good he really is," said Dutrow. "This will decide whether we're going to go on to bigger things with him."

Saratoga Blues is training in Maryland for Dutrow, who has won four stakes races at Aqueduct this year.

Kentucky Oaks Update -- Edmund Gann's You gained the upper hand in her rivalry with The Thoroughbred Corp's Habibti as the Bobby Frankel-trained daughter of You and I scored a half-length victory over her Bob Baffert-trained foe in Saturday's $300,000 Santa Anita Oaks (GI).

Jerry Bailey rode the winner, who had earlier beaten Habibti in the Las Virgenes (GI) at Santa Anita. Habibti had won their matchup in the Hollywood Starlet (GI) after both had finished off-the-board in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI) at Belmont Park. Both trainers said their fillies will be pointed to the $500,000 Kentucky Oaks (GI) at Churchill Downs on May 3.