4.7.2002	Photo By: Benoit & Associates
		The Thoroughbred Corp.'s Officer, shown winning the 6 1/2-furlong Zany Tactics Stakes for California-breds on Apr. 7 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., was scratched from the Apr. 20 Coolmore Lexington Stakes at Keeneland (GII), a race in which he was the morning-line favorite. The son of Bertrando suffered a minor leg injury Thursday (April 19) morning at Churchill Downs and will be sidelined for 90 days according to trainer Bob Baffert.

Leg Injury Forces Officer Out Of Lexington
April 19, 2002
By John Asher

Kentucky Derby Headlines:

• Officer Out Of Coolmore Lexington
• Magic Weisner Risks Long Streak In Tesio
• Johannesburg May Lose Jockey Kinane

MIDWEST(Kentucky, Illinois, Louisiana, Arkansas) -- The opportunities for 3-year-old Thoroughbreds to prove their worth as Kentucky Derby (Grade I) contenders have dwindled to a precious handful and the richest and best of those races is Saturday's $325,000 Coolmore Lexington (GII) at Keeneland Race Course.

The 1 1/16-mile race has attracted a strong field of eight 3-year-olds headed by West Point Thoroughbred's Ethan Man, winner of the Swale Stakes (GIII) at Gulfstream Park; and James Cassels and Bob Zollars Easyfromthegitgo, a narrow loser in the Louisiana Derby (GII). The morning line favorite, the Throughbred Corp.'s Officer, suffered a minor leg injury Thursday morning at Churchill Downs and will be sidelined for 90 days according to trainer Bob Baffert.

Ethan Man, trained by Patrick Byrne, has won 3-of-4 career starts and will also be attempting to win for the first time at a two-turn distance. Pat Day, the all-time leading rider at Keeneland and Churchill Downs, will ride the son of Glitterman.

The Steve Asmussen-trained Easyfromthegitgo won the Lecomte Stakes at the Fair Grounds before he dropped a close decision to Repent in the Louisiana Derby. Asmussen said a successful run in the Coolmore Lexington will likely lead to a start in the May 18 Preakness (GI) at Pimlico rather than a bid for the Kentucky Derby on May 4.

"This is a lovely 3-year-old," Asmussen told the Daily Racing Form. "He does everything we ask him, lays everything on the line. But even if he runs big Saturday, I don't think we want to try the Derby. We're looking forward to having a nice, long year with him."

Officer emerged as the nation's top 2-year-old and the early favorite for the Kentucky Derby when he won his first five races, a string that was capped by a dominating win in the Champagne (GI) at Belmont Park. But the Bob Baffert-trained son of Bertrando finished fifth to eventual juvenile champion Johannesburg in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (GI) at Belmont to start a three-race losing streak. Baffert put his star on the shelf in late December and Officer did not return until he scored a six-length romp in the 6 1/2-furlong Zany Tactics Stakes at Santa Anita on April 7.

An expected pace factor in the Coolmore Lexington is One Tuff Fox, who was knocked out of the Illinois Derby (GII) two weeks ago when he was scratched by the track's stewards and then missed last week's Arkansas Derby after trainer Richard Dutrow, Jr. was unable to find a flight to Oaklawn Park.

Completing the field are Mucho Rapido, Proud Citizen, American Style, Tails Of The Crypt, and Crimson Hero.

EAST (New York, Maryland) -- Owner/trainer Nancy Alberts' homebred Magic Weisner bids for his sixth consecutive victory in Saturday's $125,000 Federico Tesio at Pimlico Race Course.

The Maryland-bred son of Ameri Valay will face five rivals in the 1 1/8-mile Tesio. Alberts has said that Magic Weisner is not being pointed toward the Kentucky Derby, but a big effort on Saturday could earn him a spot in the starting gate for the Preakness, the second jewel of the Visa Triple Crown.

"I've been trying to stay where the races are easy for him because he's not a great big, strapping horse," said Alberts. "He's got a big heart, and he wants to run."

Magic Weisner, who will be ridden by Phil Teator, is unbeaten in two races at the Tesio distance.

The most significant opposition to Magic Weisner may come from a pair of New York-based horses. Heir D'Twine finished fourth to Mayakovsky in the Gotham (GIII) at Aqueduct in his most recent start, and the Todd Pletcher-trained Smoked Em, who won a 1 1/16-mile allowance race at Aqueduct in January.

Saarland Has Minor Throat Surgery -- Admirers of Cynthia Phipps' Saarland who were looking for an excuse for his fourth-place finish in last week's Wood Memorial (GI) may have found one.

Trainer Shug McGaughey said the son of 1990 Kentucky Derby winner Unbridled underwent minor throat surgery on Wednesday to correct a breathing problem. McGaughey suspects that the problem was a factor in his finish in the Wood Memorial.

Daily Racing Form reported that Dr. Mark Cheney performed the 10-minute procedure, called a myectomy, in the colt's stall at Belmont Park.

"There are still some questions in my head," McGaughey told the DRF. "The procedure is not always 100 percent successful. Hopefully, it'll help."

McGaughey, who has not saddled a horse in the Kentucky Derby since his runner-up finish with Easy Goer in 1989, said Saarland would work on Monday or Tuesday and is scheduled to ship to Churchill Downs on Thursday, Apr. 25.

WEST (California) -- Santa Anita Derby (GI) winner Came Home had a routine gallop on the day before his scheduled trip to Kentucky and Churchill Downs on Friday (Apr. 19).

"He's doing very good," said trainer Paco Gonzalez. "He had his regular gallop today, then came back and cleaned up all his feed. Everything."

Gonzalez said his tentative plan calls for the Gone West colt to work on Wednesday (Apr. 24) at Churchill Downs.

Kinane May Loose Mount On Johannesburg -- A riding infraction at England's Newmarket has apparently cost jockey Michael Kinane a bid to win the Kentucky Derby aboard Breeders' Cup Juvenile (GI) winner Johannesburg.

Kinane has yet to file an appeal of the decision levied by Newmarket stewards. Those stewards handed him a seven-day suspension for irresponsible riding after his mount, Sahara Desert, was disqualified from a victory in the Boadicea Conditions Stakes and placed fifth.

Kinane was scheduled to team with American star Jerry Bailey as the riders of trainer Aidan O'Brien's pair of Kentucky Derby contenders, Johannesburg and Castle Gandolfo.

Kentucky Oaks Update -- A strong and competitive field continues to take shape for the Kentucky Oaks, which will be run on Friday, May 3 at Churchill Downs. The field for the Oaks is limited to 14 3-year-old fillies and conditions for the race have been adjusted this year to give preference to entries based on their earnings in graded stakes races. An overflow field appears unlikely in the 2002 Oaks, but here is a look at the graded earnings of Oaks contenders compiled by Churchill Downs Racing Secretary Doug Bredar:

Horse	Graded Earnings
You	$817,600
Tempera	$640,000
Take Charge Lady	$623,776
Habibti	$464,800
Imperial Gesture	$$250,000
Bella Bellucci	$248,875
Take The Cake	$174,550
Belterra	$160,924
She How She Runs	$120,000
Lake Lady	$119,000
Chamrousse	$75,000
Ms Brookski	$67,500

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