The losing streak began when Officer, then unbeaten in five races and the early favorite for the Kentucky Derby, finished fifth as the odds-on favorite in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (GI) at Belmont Park. He was upset by Yougottawanna a week later in the California Cup Juvenile and finally went to the sidelines after a third-place finish to Siphonic in the Hollywood Futurity (GI). Now that Baffert has gotten the son of Bertrando back in the winner's circle, he is looking forward to giving Officer a chance to restore his tarnished reputation.

"We have him nominated to everything," Baffert said. "If we try to stretch him out maybe (we'll go to) the Lexington Stakes (on April 20 at Keeneland) and, if he did well there, the Preakness maybe. Right now I just want to savor the moment and see how he comes out of it."

Officer completed the 6 1/2-furlongs on a "fast" track in 1:15.71. He improved his career record to 6-1-1 in nine starts.

Johannesburg Upset, Castle Gandolfo Wins For O'Brien -- The Group 3 Gladness Stakes at Ireland's The Curragh has a reputation of being difficult for favorites to win and the Irish-based American 2-year-old champion Johannesburg, sent off at odds of 1-3, became its latest victim on Sunday.

The Aidan O'Brien-trained colt drew clear under jockey Michael Kinane in the final furlong of the seven furlong turf race, but he was caught and passed at the finish line by the 3-year-old filly Rebelline. Michael Tabor and Mrs. John Magnier's colt was defeated by a head as he suffered his first loss in eight races.

"Johannesburg was a bit fresh and over-raced himself early on," O'Brien said. "He got tired late, but he was beaten by a good filly."

Since El Gran Senor won the Gladness in 1984, only one renewal of the race has seen a victory by the favorite. That came in 2000 when the O'Brien-trained Giant's Causeway won the race to launch a campaign that would lead him to championship honors and a runner-up finish in the Breeders' Cup Classic (GI).

"Obviously we were hoping he would win and he came there cantering, but probably got tired in the last 50 yards," said O'Brien. "The race tells you nothing really."

O'Brien saw a happier result on Saturday when Castle Gandolfo, also owned by Tabor and Magnier, enhanced his Kentucky Derby credentials with a strong 2 1/2-length victory in the Fosters-International Trial at Britain's Lingfield Park.

The son of Gone West was making his first start since a runner-up finish on heavy turf in the 1 1/4-mile Criterium de Saint-Cloud (Group 1) at France's Saint-Cloud last November. He rallied from fifth on Saturday to win easily on the mile race on the synthetic Polytrack surface and completed the mile in a track record 1:36.52.

"It went the way you'd hope," said Kinane. "I got a little bit behind early so I just let him sit in and coast around them. He's a very high-class colt."

Castle Gandolfo, who is named for the Pope's summer palace outside Rome, improved his record to 3-2-0 in five races.

MIDWEST (Kentucky, Illinois, Louisiana, Arkansas) -- Select Stable's Repent went to the post as the odds-on favorite in Saturday's Illinois Derby (GII) at Sportsman's Park, but his trademark stretch rally was not enough to catch the front-running War Emblem.

The son of Our Emblem, owned by 84-year-old Russell L. Reineman and trained by Frank Springer, broke sharply and led the field through moderate fractions on his way to a 6 1/4-length win. Repent, the 1-2 favorite off a string of three consecutive victories that included the Louisiana Derby (GII), made a sweeping move on the far turn but could not threaten the winner. Fonz's was third.

Jockey Larry Sterling, Jr. was aboard the winner, who covered the 1 1/8-miles in 1:49.92.

But, as impressive as War Emblem's victory was, assistant trainer Ben Allen said on Sunday that it was probably not enough to earn the colt a trip to the Kentucky Derby.

"The pace of the Derby has been ridiculous the last few years for horses going a mile and a quarter for the first time," said Allen. "He'd be right in the thick of (that kind of pace). The Derby sets up right for a horse like Repent, or like Monarchos last year."

Despite the upset loss, McPeek still expects Repent is expected to join his stablemate, Florida Derby (GI) winner Harlan's Holiday, in the starting gate in Kentucky Derby 128.

"This colt is just begging for a mile and a quarter," McPeek said. "This is a horse that has to have a lively pace in front of him. He's always that way and is always going to be that way."

The victory in the Illinois Derby improved War Emblem's record to 4-0-0 in seven races with earnings of $366,000. With his victory in the Illinois Derby, War Emblem is eligible for a $1 million bonus if he wins any of the three Visa Triple Crown races: the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes.

Illinois-based trainer Chris Block has no intention of finding a way to get Cashel Castle to the Kentucky Derby, but a flashy win by the colt in Sunday's Lafayette (GIII) at Keeneland sent out a warning that the unbeaten colt will be tough to handle wherever he shows up.

The gray son of Silver Ghost rolled from just off the pace score to a 4 1/4-length victory over Governor Hickel and Sky Terrace. He covered the distance in 1:24.47 under jockey Pat Day, who notched his 800th career win at Keeneland with the victory.

"We've tried to bring this horse along the right way," said Block. "This is the best horse I've had and I don't want to make any mistakes. We've never been on the Derby trail with him. We didn't want to burn him up and have nothing left for the summer. The Breeders' Cup Sprint (GI) is at home (Arlington Park) this year."

This year's Kentucky Derby scene is populated by horses based in Ireland and Dubai and includes a horse bred in Japan, so the German-bred Flying Dash should fit right in if trainer Neil Drysdale decides to point him toward the famed "Run for the Roses."

The colt has never raced on dirt, but Drysdale left open the possibility of a Kentucky Derby bid after Flying Dash made his U.S. debut in a dominating win in the Transylvania Stakes on the Keeneland turf.

"He certainly trains well on dirt," said Drysdale. "I don't know. We've got a lot of options."

Flying Dash is owned by Fusao Sekiguchi, who teamed with Drysdale to win the 2000 Kentucky Derby with Fusaichi Pegasus. He improved his record 3-1-0 in five career starts.

EAST (New York, Maryland) -- Add the name of Diana Snowden's Laissezaller to the list of horses being pointed toward Saturday's Wood Memorial (GI) at Aqueduct.

The Wood will mark the U.S. debut for the End Sweep colt trained by Amanda Perrett. Laissezaller has raced exclusively in England, including a pair of solid efforts on the all-weather surface at Lingfield Park. He will move to barn of Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott after the Wood.

SOUTHEAST (Florida) -- Martin Cherry's Marasca scored his first stakes victory in an upset of the favored Equality in Saturday's $250,00 Aventura Stakes at Gulfstream -- but it appears that neither the John Kimmel-trained winner or the runner-up will be traveling to Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby.

"He's an improving 3-year-old and those kind of horses are the most dangerous," said Kimmel "But I think it's too early in his career to tackle the kind of horses he will be meeting in the Kentucky Derby."

Trainer Graham Motion said the Derby was out of the picture for Equality, but the Tampa Bay Derby (GIII) winner could be pointed toward the Preakness.

Kentucky Oaks Update -- A dominating win in Saturday's Ashland Stakes (GI) at Keeneland has probably made Select Stable's Take Charge Lady the favorite in the May 3 Kentucky Oaks (GI).

The Ken McPeek-trained daughter of Dehere rallied from just off the pace to win by 4 1/4-lengths over the Carl Nafzger-trained duo of Take The Cake and Belterra. Take Charge Lady, ridden by Tony D'Amico, completed the 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.29 on a "fast" track as she won for the sixth time in eight races.

"This filly has really developed," said D'Amico. "She's so much bigger and stronger now. She's incredible. I don't think we'll have any problem with the mile and an eighth in the Kentucky Oaks."

The win avenged a loss to Belterra in last fall's Golden Rod (GII) at Churchill Downs. Take Charge Lady is unbeaten in three starts since that setback.

The victory was also the first in a Grade I race for D'Amico, a 46-year-old veteran who has been riding for 28 years. D'Amico has endured a bittersweet winter and early spring that has seen him lose the mounts on McPeek's two Kentucky Derby contenders -- Harlan's Holiday and Repent -- and Lane's End Spiral (GII) winner Perfect Drift.

"This race kind of made up for it," said D'Amico. "It takes a lot of the hurt away."

Nafzger said Take The Cake and Belterra would also be pointed toward the Kentucky Oaks.

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